


America, In My Dreams (United States of America #2.5)

by 37054ljH



Series: The United States of America [4]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Abuse of Authority, Abusive Parents, Abusive Relationships, Aftermath of Violence, America is a mother, America-centric, Angst, Asexual Pregnancies, Betrayal, Blood and Gore, Brother-Sister Relationships, Child Neglect, Colonialism, Colonization, Content Warnings Inside, Crossdressing, Dancing, Dark Past, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Gender Identity, Gender Issues, Gender or Sex Swap, Genocide, Ghosts, Gods and Goddesses, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Implied Cannabalism, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Lunarpunk, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Native America is America's Mother, Native American Character(s), Native American Mythology - Freeform, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Polyamory, Psychological Torture, Racism, Sexism, Sexual Content, Singing, Slow Burn Romance, Solarpunk, Spirit Realms, Spirits, Supernatural - Freeform, This story explores America's past, Though there are side stories, Torture, Tragedy, Violence, historical fiction - Freeform, light comedy, mentions of abuse, sun and moon, supernatural powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2020-09-29 18:10:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 34
Words: 34,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20440286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/37054ljH/pseuds/37054ljH
Summary: *DISCONTINUED! UP FOR ADOPTION!**This is also the rewritten version of this book. If you wish to see the original, go to my Wattpad account, located on my profile, though I warn you, I really don't like it.*America. Emily F. Jones. The Princess Migisi of the South. Alfred F. Jones.All her life she has kept secrets, from being a mother, to being a woman, and to who she really was as a person. And it was those secrets that have kept her, her family, and her country safe from invasion.But what many don't know is of the princess who fell in love, but not just with anyone. She fell in love with two men who are literally out of this world, one who nourishes all life upon Earth with his warmth and power, and the other who graces the world with his gentle yet beautiful light. And these two men will love her until the end of the universe itself, watch as she grows, protect her from afar, and help her through her struggles.They are the Spirit Kings of the Sun and Moon, Cyrus and Iamar, and this is the untold story of how a woman like Princess Migisi met them and fell in love.





	1. Author's Note

**Hey guys, and welcome! Like I promised, I'm going to be writing the rewritten version of ** ** _America, In My Dreams_ ** ** separately so others can enjoy it, but for those of you who are confused on why I'm rewriting this, let me explain.**

**For one, I didn't like where the story was going, and I felt that I was unintentionally taking the focus off America, Cyrus, and Iamar's relationship. For another, adding the nations in and having them know of America's romance with the two Spirit Kings complicated things even further. And finally, I feel that I have not allowed the relationship between the three of them to grow on its own, which was once more unintentional on my part, so because of that, I'm going to be rewriting the story, with there being similar things to the previous story and others that are completely different.**

**I'm going to be diving into America's history from her birth to before modern times, so the nations aren't going to meet Cyrus and Iamar and there will be more exploration on America's children. I want the focus to be completely on America, Cyrus, and Iamar's relationship, but I want there to be side stories to explore along the way.**

**However, if by any means I accidentally quicken the relationship, let me know and I'll try to fix it. Also, there's a couple other things that I want you guys to be aware of before you go on.**

**As we are going to be exploring America's history, expect this story to have a lot of mature themes, so be on the look-out for these if they are going to be a problem for you:**

***Blood and Gore**

***Intense Violence**

***Strong Language**

***Sexual Content**

***Nudity**

***Use of Alcohol and Drugs**

***Suggestive Themes**

**Also, these additional subjects will be also explored, many of which are going to be highly offensive:**

***Racism (with uses of the n word)**

***Homophobia and Transphobia (which will include a certain f word)**

***Mentions of rape and other kinds of sexual harassment**

***Sexism (which may include references of domestic violence)**

***Child Abuse (especially physical and psychological abuse)**

***Depression**

***Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation**

***Mentions of Genocide**

***Infant/Child Mortality**

***Mental Illnesses such as PTSD**

***War (which will include the mentions of genocide and torture)** **   
**

**If any of these subjects and themes are going to be potentially offensive, please find something else to read, but if you choose to continue regardless of this warning, DO NOT blame me if you find something offensive. I will first ask you if you had read this note and then say that I did warn you beforehand and you still chose to read this so you don't have the right to accuse me of anything. That being said, while I do welcome constructive criticism (such as correcting grammar errors and what I can do to make the story better), I will not accept any negative feedback such as attempted bullying, threats, attempted arguments, or very suggestive comments like those that talk about sex.**

**Please keep in mind that if I see that you are threatening my or someone else's well-being or make extremely crude comments about this work, you will receive a warning, but if it continues, you will be reported immediately, as I will not tolerate that kind of behavior on this site or anywhere else, simply because we are here to read, write, and enjoy stories, not make others uncomfortable, disgusted, or unsafe to be on this site or anywhere else.**

**That will be the only warning I give you, so I highly advise you either keep your comments to yourself or not read this story at all if you're going to do something as disrespectful and idiotic as that.**

**Anyway, just be aware, and I hope you guys enjoy!**

**~~~37054ljH**


	2. Prologue

Her life was full of ups and downs, and other strange occurrences that no one knew about.

This would be one of them.

No one needed to know about the real her and what was going on behind closed doors. No one needed to know about her life, for that was just asking for trouble. She refused to let that happen to her country and her family.

That also included those two. The men who were with her through everything life threw at her, who watched over her during her life, who protected her as best they could from afar, and who offered her shelter from the world she was forced to be a part of.

She loved them. She loved them dearly. Those two beloved Spirit Kings of the Sun and Moon.

And no one outside her country needed to know about it, else she wanted to be baited into something she didn't want to do.

That was not what she would do. Not on her life.

She was Princess Migisi of the South. She was Emily F. Jones. And she was the United States of America, and she would protect everyone she loves or die trying.

That included them.

The Spirit Kings of the Sun and Moon, Cyrus and Iamar.


	3. The One Named Eagle

She was born on April 14, 1405, and in what would eventually be called the Rocky Mountains.

She knew what was happening the moment she had been brought out from her mother's womb. For one moment she was crying because she couldn't breathe, and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a bright blue object above her, so big and so wide that she didn't know if it could end.

Then she realized she was being held in hands that were much bigger than her own, and she looked up, automatically knowing that she was a sight for sore eyes, because when the medicine man who delivered her looked at her, he immediately appeared concerned. She would eventually learn that it was because she had skin that was whiter than the people's, her eyes were the color of the sky, and her hair was the color of the wheat fields.

Many of the people feared her, she could tell that much, and she would live with it for as long as she lived with her mother and brothers.

Her mother and brothers. Oh yes. After she was cleaned, she was given to her mother, a very beautiful woman. Her skin was so smooth to the touch and it had a beautiful shade that looked like the dirt below them, her long hair looked silky to the touch and was the color of what she would eventually learn would be a moonless night. Her brown eyes automatically made her feel safe and loved, and she found herself cuddling even further into her bosom.

And there were two people beside her, looking down at her also. Two boys in fact, though one was almost her size and the other was much bigger, though not as much as their mother.

The latter almost looked exactly like their mother, with the same dark hair although it was lighter, dark eyes, and skin, though the latter was also lighter. His hair was messy and reached his shoulders, and he was wearing strange clothing, which was the only thing that confused her.

The younger boy had very light skin, hair that she would later learn was the color of sand, eyes that were the color of wildflowers except lighter, and he was small, not as much as she was though, but still small.

And both boys were looking at her in curiosity.

Then the boys looked up at their mother, speaking in a tongue that she wouldn't understand at first. Their mother chuckled at whatever they said before looking back down at her.

"Migisi," she said to her. She then said something else, with the word Migisi being added in once more.

She would later learn that was her name. Migisi, the eagle, the free one.

And she would indeed be as free as her name transcribed.


	4. First Tears

Sleep, wake up, eat, go to the bathroom, spend time with her family, and go to sleep again.

That had been her constant routine since her birth, and as each day passed from the day of her birth, she found herself taking in the world around her with ease.

The tall brown objects that had green, and sometimes brown, orange, and red canvases were called trees, and she was in awe to find that they were everywhere. Some of the native people lived in these places, which she later learned were called forests. Other creatures inhabited them as well, and they looked nothing like the native people or even herself.

She had stared at them from her mother's arms for a long time, in awe at their beauty and majesty. So distracted was she that she didn't notice her mother chuckling at her.

But then there was most of the people themselves, and her mother also noticed these looks.

They eyed her and her tiny older brother with fear and--sometimes--disgust. Once more, she didn't understand why they were acting this way towards her and her brother, for there were other children their age around them.

But from the sad look her mother had on her face, this wasn't the case.

She couldn't speak, so she couldn't ask the older woman on why she had such an expression on her face. Frustrating too, because there were so many things she wanted to ask her mother, and yet she couldn't even ask them.

Her brother had more luck with speaking, and she guessed it was because he was bigger than her.

So, she supposed the first thing to do was to be patient. In the meantime, she was going to have to learn everything she could about the life she lived, and how to communicate with her family when the time came.

~~~

Another month passed, and things haven't changed.

She was watching from her mother's arms as the people moved their bodies around a giant moving entity that she later learned was called a fire, and they were making sounds and playing instruments that created a unnatural appeal to her as she watched. Beside her and her mother, her brother sat, also watching. He clearly had seen all this before, but its appeal never left him.

But where was he?

She looked up at her mother, and the movement of her head caused the older woman to look down at her, her warm brown eyes loving but sad. The latter confused her, until her mother looked between her and her brother, then looked around, clearly searching for someone before she deflated and sighed to herself.

Why wasn't her other brother here? Where had he been since the day she had been born? Most of all, why did he look so out of place among the people and his younger brother and sister?

She wanted to hear his voice, somehow more than her other brother's, and see his brown eyes gazing down upon her with love and kindness. And she wanted to see his smile, to have him touch her like their mother had.

He never touched her after she was born, not like her other brother, who allowed her to grasp one of his tiny fingers the day after her birth. Who stayed close to her to provide warmth and comfort to her whenever they both were sleeping under their mother's protective presence or the warmth of the fire in the tepee they were in.

She didn't realize she was whimpering until her other brother turned to her, his wildflower eyes filled with what she would later learn was concern.

"Migisi?" he asked. He then said something else, something she didn't understand, but she had a good idea that he was asking her if she was alright.

And, somehow, that only made more tears stream down her face as she continued to whimper.

That was the first day, since her birth, that she cried, really cried. Out of loneliness, out of longing.

Out of something that she feared she would never be able to touch for a long, long time.


	5. Honan and Elsu

She was almost a year old when she met her eldest brother again.

Most of her time had been at her mother's side, and they traveled a lot with her brother, who always clutched onto their mother's deerskin skirts. She had always wondered what their mother's dress were made from, and when she first heard it was made from the animals she saw in the woods, and even ate sometimes, she had silently cried.

But her mother was prepared for this, and gently wiped away her daughter's tears before she spoke, her daughter now understanding her words.

"We do not like killing them my child," she had said, "but we need clothing and food if we wish to survive, and many give thanks to them for making such sacrifices for us."

Even with that explanation, it still hurt her, but she never complained about it again.

Now, at her young age, she never spoke, and for some reason she remained a baby. The people's worries of her seemed to relax for some odd reason despite there being others who eyed her with weariness, but she supposed that had something to do with her brother, who also didn't age a bit after a year.

This confused her. Why wasn't she and her brother growing, but the native's children were?

But it was during that year when her other brother came back, looking the same as the first time she saw him.

It was night time, and her mother was gently rocking her in the teepee, helping her to get to sleep. On her lap, her brother slept, his cheek looking a bit bigger with the pressure added to it, and she wanted to poke it the moment she saw it.

In response to her mother's rocking, she was about to go to sleep when she heard someone approach the entrance to their teepee, their shadow barely seen in the glow of the warm fire. Her mother eyed the figure in reluctance and worry, before she hesitantly called, "Enter!"

The teepee flap opened, and at first she couldn't see anything thanks to the darkness of the night outside, but then the black figure stepped into the firelight, and once he was completely covered in the fire's glow, she recognized the face of her other brother, though he was wearing much different clothes than last time.

Her mother jerked, and, as gently as she could, moved her sleeping brother's head to the ground before rushing towards her other brother, who was smiling at the sight of them, the love and relief clearly present. Their mother didn't hesitate to bring him into a hug, but she was careful with her daughter in her hold, and once she pulled away, placed a gentle and quick kiss on her oldest brother's forehead.

But why was she feeling jealous over something like that? This was her brother! And it did not count that she did not know his name.

"My son, welcome back," greeted their mother, a loving smile on her face as she regarded him.

"Hello Mother," he replied, his voice warm, beautiful, and very peaceful. The combinations of these things made her even sleepier, it was just so soothing. "How is Honan and Migisi?"

Honan?

"They are well my son," their mother answered, glancing at her youngest brother, who still slept on without any sign of waking. "They have really been bonding well. In fact, Honan never leaves Migisi alone for long whenever they are together."

Oh.

So that was her brother's name.

Honan. She really liked that name.

Then her other brother looked down at her, and she could practically feel his coo before it was even out of his mouth. She eyed him with curiosity (and her own kind of relief), and when she blinked, he blinked.

Eventually, he was the one who broke their trance when he looked back up at their mother. He was no longer smiling at this point, but he was now looking between her and their mother with a hesitance that concerned the former. Looking up at her mother, the older woman had a gentle and understanding expression on her face as she read the message in her eldest child's face.

"You may hold him Elsu, but be gentle with him. He's still very fragile."

She did not have time to examine her mother's words before she was placed in different arms. The first thing she felt was how different his arms were to their mother's; rough, bumpy, but still soft and gentle, nothing like their mother's soft and sturdy arms.

There was also no lock of midnight black hair for her to grab onto, and she suddenly felt like she was in a place she wasn't supposed to be, but at the same time was.

She then looked up at her eldest brother, _Elsu_. He looked uncertain and nervous as he held her, but when their mother stepped away, he became more confident and loving in his touch, holding her with one arm and holding out a finger to her.

She eyed it with confusion, but took it into her tiny hands nevertheless. She found that his hand was rough under her smooth skin, and she wondered how that was made. So distracted was she with this and her playing with his finger that she never noticed her brother looking at her with a smitten expression.

But their mother's chuckle brought her back to reality. Looking her way, they found that she was looking at them with a loving expression that made her daughter's cheeks feel hot.

How did she feel as hot as she would be whenever she was near a fire?

Elsu smiled at their mother. "He's very beautiful Mother. I cannot believe that I mistook him for a girl after he was born."

What? She looked between her mother and eldest brother with alarm, but somehow they didn't seem to notice. In fact, the former chuckled at her son.

"Yes, many of the people have said the same," she announced.

Elsu chuckled. "I have no doubt. He will be a very beautiful child when he grows older."

What were they talking about? She was a girl, not a boy! She looked between them both, wondering what was wrong with them. Didn't the medicine man who brought her from the womb tell her mother and brothers about what she was after birth? Or...

Or did he not say anything? She knew that he had been concerned with her appearance as soon as she was born, but she never thought of this!

Why?

Why was this...?

...why...?

But then she looked at her mother, who was now looking at her and her now oblivious eldest brother with worry and alarm. She was even biting her lip and appeared guilty, and it was at that point that she realized what this was.

Her mother _did_ know, but chose to make her into a boy instead. Now, the question she had was why.

She would eventually wish she had not asked that question.


	6. Identity

She is Migisi, and she is a girl.

She is Migisi, and she is a girl.

_She is Migisi_

_and she is a girl._

That had been her thoughts for a long time, and she kept telling herself that every day, desperate to keep her identity, to not let her mother or her brothers to take that from her, even if they didn't mean it.

But that didn't change the fact that her mother knew and her brothers didn't.

Sure, she understood that she shouldn't have been aware of this, and she too was unsure of who she was, but what right did they have to take away her identity? What were they hoping to achieve by doing this?

Who would she even ask? Her mother? She couldn't even speak for the love of the spirits!

The spirits...

She heard her mother talk about them, but never understood what she meant. What did she mean by only she could see them, and hopefully her children would too? What were the spirits anyway?

It had been three more human years since she met her eldest brother for the second time, and she still hadn't aged a bit. Her life was now spent in a teepee, or with her mother, whichever came first. Her mother was always on the move for a reason she didn't understand, and she usually was strapped to her back, not seeing what was going on with the world around her, much less what the world even looked like.

She wanted to see the trees, see the animals, and even see the other native people. She wanted to play with the children, to understand their world, and why many of their parents were so afraid of her and her brother.

She was curious, and she knew the children were to. So why wouldn't her mother allow the children to see her?

Was it something she did?

Was it because of what she was?

Oh how she wished she could speak. It would have made things easier for her, if not for the fact that she could understand what they were talking about. As her mother walked, she could hear some adults walking alongside her, but keeping a respectful distance.

Her mother noticed.

"What is it?" she asked gently. From the sound of the footsteps, she knew that they had been startled. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you."

Whoever was walking beside them was quick to recover themselves before they answered her. "Forgive us Holy One, it is nothing."

She knew her mother didn't believe them, especially when she said, "Is it about my child?"

Silence answered, and she heard her mother sighing to herself.

"You do not need to worry young ones, my child is fine. I will admit that I was surprised by their appearances myself when my young sons were born into the world, but I will not love them any less because of that. The Mother Earth wanted them to have these skin, hair, and eye colors for a reason, and I am within no right to question her."

She knew the women beside her wanted to say something else, but kept their words to themselves out of respect. After that, the only sounds that she could hear was the sound of multiple feet and the crunch of the ground under them, and the rhythm of it all made her get lost in her thought once more.

There she went again. No one knew that she was a female, and for some reason it drove her mind towards a negative light. She didn't understand why her mother was lying to everyone, and to her own sons. She knew the older woman knew who she really was, and even still chose to keep it a secret from everyone, her own sons being one of them.

She didn't want to feel this way, but she hated it with every ounce of her being.

With these sad thoughts in her head, she felt herself being drawn to the world of sleep, and the last things she thought was of her identity.

I am Migisi, and I am a girl.

_I am Migisi, and I am a girl._

_...i...am...migisi..._

_...and...i...am...a...girl..._


	7. Mother Earth

Weightless.

That was the first thing she felt when she came to her senses.

She opened her eyes, confused on how she was able to open them so easily when she was so tired after falling asleep. She looked around herself, and she was in a forest, but she was very far from the ground. Looking around herself once more, she realized that she was way up in the trees, so close that she could touch the leaves.

She then grabbed one, running her tiny fingers over its surface. It was soft, but rough at the same time. She then began to trace the rough patterns on the leaf, loving the feeling of it under her fingers. She began to smile, the bliss of touching this strange object becoming undeniable.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Startled, she jumped, dropping the leaf in the process. Spinning around, she found herself looking into the face of a very beautiful woman, as beautiful as her mother, perhaps even more so. She was also very tall, allowing her to tower over her quite easily, and then there was her overall appearance.

Her dark brown hair was so long that it nearly created a halo throughout her form, her skin seemed to range from her mother's brown skin to her own white skin, her face was angled sharply, and then there were her eyes and her dress.

She couldn't tell what actual color the woman's eyes were, for they seemed to range from the green of the leaves, the blue of the sky, the brown of the ground, and even to the various kinds of flowers and plants that resided on the ground. Finally, there was her dress, which was so long that she couldn't see her feet. It was glowing, blue, and had these strange shapes on them, which ranged with different colors depending on where they were.

The woman smiled down at her, so patient, so motherly, and so ancient that she automatically knew she was in the presence of someone out of this world.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, daughter of Kwanita," said the woman.

She looked at her, confused. Kwanita? Who...

The woman chuckled at her confusion. "Your own mother never told you her name child?" When she shook her head, the woman chuckled. "Good grief Kwanita, how can you be so neglectful of such a simple thing?"

Her eyes widened with realization. Kwanita...that was her mother's name?

It's so beautiful.

Then she looked up at the woman again. "What's your name?" she asked.

The woman looked back down at her. "My name child?" she asked. When she nodded, she sighed to herself, but it wasn't out of negative feelings. "I am Gaia, child, and I am the Earth."

She blinked. "Earth?" she repeated.

Gaia nodded. "Yes. Not very many people are able to see me child, but your mother is able to, but now I see that you are able to see me as well."

Once more, she blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Gaia just smiled patiently. "I will tell you when you are old enough to understand child, but not now. Enjoy your childhood while you can."

"W-Wai--" But Gaia was gone before she could finish, and just like that, everything went black once more.

~~~

The first thing she felt was rocking, and the first thing she saw was the color black and some light filtering through the cracks of the blanket she was tucked under. Yawning, she wanted to go back to sleep, but found that she couldn't.

Especially when the person whose back she was strapped to stopped.

Then she heard it; the sounds of a village; people walking about, others working, the sounds of a fire, and there were even the sounds of dancing.

Oh, so it must be sundown. Sometimes the dances occured when the sun was going into the horizon after all.

Then her mother began to speak, this time in another language that she couldn't understand. Probably a greeting, because the people whose village they arrived in began to speak in the same language, sounding excited as they did so.

Suddenly she felt worried. Where were they? Where was Honan? Was he even alright?

And who were these people?

Before she could even attempt to calm herself of her worries, she felt herself being moved, the blanket coming off of her. Her strap was moved so that it was on the ground, and she blinked at the sudden appearance of the fading light. When her vision cleared, she saw her mother beside her, as well as Honan, but there were some faces that she had never seen before, not even among the village she lived in.

They were all women and children, and they were eyeing her with curiosity, and with the former a little weariness. Looking at Kwanita, her mother, she watched as the woman smiled lovingly at her, before quickly but gently removing her from the strap she was carried in.

It felt nice, being out of that thing, and she stretched and yawned again, unable to help herself. Her mother cooed at her, holding her in her arms the way she always did, and it made her so tired.

She wanted to sleep, because she wanted to talk with Gaia again, to obtain answers to her questions. But...

The women above her spoke, and their words sounded like a question, especially judging by the looks of confusion on their faces. Kwanita chuckled before she answered, sounding very patient and even saying her daughter's name.

Feeling helpless for this reason, she returned to sleep, hoping to speak with Gaia once more.


	8. Alone

She never saw Gaia again for a long time, not even in her dreams.

Did she imagine her, or was she real? She didn't know, but it did leave her sad and lonely, despite her mother and Honan being there with her every day. She was happy that she had them, but it's been a long time since she saw Elsu, and she never made any friends with the other children or even the adults.

Did that make her a bad child?

No one seemed to believe so if one doesn't count the natives who were weary of her and Honan, but she sure felt like she was an awful existence.

It's been about twenty years now, and she now had finally grown into what she learned was the appearance and body of a two-year-old child. Her hair had grown longer until it was reaching her middle back, her arms and hands were still a little chubby, her cheeks were puffed out still, and her body had gotten a little taller and bolder. Now she no longer needed the strap that Kwanita used to carry her around, though she did have a hard time walking and required her mother's assistance.

But she could finally speak after so long. In fact, she started speaking only ten years ago, but found that talking was troublesome and unneeded at times, especially when she said her first word.

It was when the sun was in the middle of the sky that she said it. Honan, who had grown too, was helping the other boys make what she would later learn were weapons. They had been traveling the land for some time now, and she found herself taking everything in, but still remained confused on what this meant, and why the people seemed to regard her, her mother, and her brother as "guardians" or even "gods".

Kwanita was sewing something while she sat beside her, watching her fingers dance with the thread and needle. She told her daughter that it was called a basket, and it was going to be used for the harvests, which would enable those using it to carry more than their hands ever could.

She was fascinated, and then, almost like she was possessed, she uttered something.

Kwanita looked at her, stunned. "What have you said?" she asked, her brown eyes wide with shock. Caught off guard by this, she hesitated before she opened her mouth again, pointing at the grain fields nearby.

"Gai...a..." she said.

Kwanita dropped the thread, needle, and basket, a gasp flying past her lips. She looked at her with a shock that she couldn't describe, and suddenly she wished that she could take that word back, that she had said nothing at all.

Most of all, she didn't understand.

Why did her mother react that way? Does she know Gaia somehow? And if so, why did she look so shocked...and even scared?

So, after that, she didn't speak much, but she did when she was spoken to.

She could tell that this worried her mother and brother, and once, Honan looked up at Kwanita with concern after his unknown sister didn't babble like most of the babies in the villages do.

"Is he well Mama?" he asked.

Kwanita nodded, trying to not show her own worry. "He is healthy my son, I suppose he just does not like to speak much, that is all."

"But..."

Kwanita smiled at Honan, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "Do not worry my son, your brother is fine, you have my word on that. Migisi is still young, so wait just a little while longer, and we will see changes with him."

Honan bit his lip, clearly still concerned for her, but he nodded all the same. After that, Honan never questioned their mother about her behavior, but she could tell that he was still worried about her.

She was worried too, just not over the same thing.

She was wondering if something was truly wrong with her, just not in body. She knew what she saw when she spoke with Gaia, and yet, she knew that no one else would be able to see or speak with her. And what did Gaia mean by getting answers when she was old enough? How long was she going to have to wait for obtain them?

Or was it just a false sign in her dreams, like some medicine men have said? Somehow that saddened her.

She wanted to speak to Gaia again, but besides with obtaining answers, she didn't know why.

She doubted Kwanita would believe her if she even said anything though, much less Honan.

She never felt so alone, and she hated it. Now she began to wonder if sadness and loneliness could create illnesses, because she sure felt like something was wrong with her, especially with the heavy feeling in her chest.

And it hurt, it hurt so much, and she couldn't even say anything to describe how she was feeling to her mother and brother.

She doubted that they would've believed her anyway.


	9. To Forgive or Not to Forgive

Such a sad child.

This was not the way she wanted to bring her into the world. Not even close.

She understood what Kwanita was doing, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She knew her Earthen creation was only protecting her only daughter from the men and prejudices that seemed to follow women anywhere, and with the exploration happening across the waters of this land, she knew it was only a matter of time.

Sometimes she hated her creations, for they were capable of destroying everything around them easily, even each other. She had seen it all, and she hated every one. Why couldn't they just get along? They were all human after all, no matter what country, religion, or family they were born in.

But then again, she and the spirits were sometimes no different, especially when it concerned each other.

They waged wars, they created conflict, they killed their own and others, and so much more that she desperately wants to forget. It was one of the reasons why she sometimes cursed her existence as a goddess.

But she didn't want this to happen. Not to that child, who was only in the world for a short time.

She didn't mean for this to happen.

Now, she can only pray that the child and Kwanita will one day forgive her, but if they do not, she will accept their decision without complaint.

She may be a goddess, but sometimes, even she did not deserve forgiveness.


	10. The Man of the Sun

It's been another ten years, and she now had the body of a three-year-old child. She was even able to walk on her own now, though she still wobbled here and there. It was enough to allow Kwanita and Honan to leave her be for longer amounts of time, and, somehow, that made her feel more alone than ever.

She was still too young to work with the other children, but doing something should've been able to help ease her mind. Or at least to take it off the things that were holding her down within.

She hated this. She hated every moment of it, and she didn't know if she could even tell her mother or brother how she was feeling.

Her yearning to see Elsu again was growing stronger, and it was starting to hurt so much that she could feel herself choking with the yearning to be with her eldest brother. Sometimes tears would sting her eyes at the thought of him, but they would not fall, and, if they did, she would not make a sound.

Was it possible for something to hurt so much that no sound would come forth or no tears would form?

Outside the warm teepee, she watched as soft but cold patches of white fell from the sky, creating a cold and soft blanket on the ground. Nearby, the leaves on the trees were nonexistent, allowing the substance to reside on them. There were no birds or animals in sight, and she suddenly had the feeling of sadness and even the cease of existence once again.

Her mother told her the stuff was called snow, and that it only comes during the winter, disappearing in the spring and summer, and on the verge of arriving in autumn.

She decided she hated the winter.

It was so cold, so barren, and not a single piece of life within sight if one didn't see the native people working about. As for the native people, many were older now, including many of the children she had seen throughout her thirty years of existence. They now were working alongside their fathers and mothers and siblings with work depending on their gender, all while she stayed in a child's body.

She wanted to join them so bad, but worried on what Kwanita, or even the people themselves would think. She could imagine them forbidding her from working with them until she was old enough to handle the workload, and with her current body, she could not fault them, but at the same time she could not help but envy and spite them a little.

Come on, sometimes she would see Honan among them, helping the new children of the various villages they have visited work on weapons for hunting, fishing, and sometimes even for battle, clearly finding solace in it, while his younger "brother" was stuck in a teepee with nothing but the crackling fire to keep her company.

She hated that word too: Battle, and she prayed that she would never witness one or even participate in one in her life. She wished that Honan would never witness it either, much less Elsu, wherever he was.

She needed to ask Kwanita why Elsu was always gone whenever she could.

As the snow continued to fall, the fire continued to crackle in the middle of the teepee with its smoke escaping through the hole in the top of the teepee, and the people working outside at whatever tasks they were given, she continued to watch as it went on by without her. She looked towards the horizon, where she couldn't even see the sun thanks to the gray clouds above.

Shivering, she wrapped the buffalo hive even tighter around her, trying to take comfort in its warmth. She caressed the fur like the animal whom it came from was still alive and needed as much comfort as she did. She understood Kwanita's words, and she also spotted the sadness in her mother's eyes when she had to kill, but it still hurt.

Every tree, every creature, and every rock has a life, just like she did.

Hm? What was that?

She looked further into the leafless trees, and there she saw someone standing there, a man from what she could see, and he was watching the village. From the direction of his face, he seemed to be looking her way, but she wasn't sure.

But what caught her attention was the fire that surrounded him, which shone off whatever strange clothing he was wearing, and wasn't touching the trees or melting the snow.

She suddenly had the urge to approach him, to talk to him, to ask him what he was doing. So, slipping on her moccasins and wrapping her buffalo hive even tighter around her, she stepped out into the cold.

The snow was deep, but not too deep, so she didn't have to worry about her feet hitting something, which would cause her to fall to the ground and likely alert the people nearby. She prayed that Kwanita or Honan would not notice her absence when she got back, and continued to make her way towards the man.

By this time, he surely noticed her approach, for his face was now fully directed towards her, but he made no move to escape or showed any sign that he was surprised. He watched her every move, and she kept her eyes on him the entire time she made the trek towards him, surely a wondrous expression on her face.

Was he a spirit?

Finally, she reached him, stopping a respectful distance from him. They stared into each other's eyes, blue meeting with surprisingly flaming orbs, one with surprise and wonder, and the other with confusion but patience.

One word came to mind when she saw him: Beautiful.

He was taller than her mother, and he was wearing this strange set of clothing that seemed to reflect the waterfall of fire on his head, ranging from the colors of the sunrise to the sunset, his face and body had no imperfections that she could see, his eyes were orbs that burned with fire, and his hair was long and made of fire also.

She knew that she was looking a spirit, and a very powerful one judging from the aura that surrounded him.

She slowly went to her knees and bowed her head, all while the fire spirit continued to watch her every move.

All the while, she said nothing to him, mostly because she didn't know what to say to a spirit, much less one of such high power.

Then, before she could say anything, he spoke.

"Arise child." His voice was full of power, warmth, and wisdom, and she never thought that she would hear a voice like that in her life. Her mother's was wise, patient, powerful, and warm, but her voice could never compare with this man.

Quickly, she rose to her feet, trying to not feel the cold through her clothing. A cool breeze then flew by, sending sparks from the man's hair and eyes flying, as well as her own hair, which gilded gently behind her. She stared into the spirit man's eyes, awaiting orders.

He stared back at her for a moment, before he spoke once more. "You see me, child?"

Hesitating a moment, she nodded. "Yes, Holy One." She was not sure what she could refer to him as, and feared that she might offend him.

But he only smiled gently. "What is your name?" he then asked.

She paused. Her name? Why would he want to know the name of such a low specie such as her? But even with that thought in mind, she answered.

"I am called Migisi, Holy One."

The man's face was still gentle, and suddenly she felt safe and warm despite the cold. He then walked closer to her, his steps so graceful and powerful that she had to keep from taking a step back. Then he knelt to her level as best as he could, his flame-like eyes scanning over her. His smile broadened after he looked back into her eyes.

"You look just like her, young one," he remarked.

She blinked, but did not dare to say a word.

He did not seem offended in any way when she didn't answer. "I look forward to what you do next in the future, Princess Migisi of the South. I bid thee farewell for now." He then stood back up to his full height, and, to her surprise, he began to turn to embers, the sparks flying into the wind.

"Wait!" she called. The spirit man watched her patiently, waiting for her incoming question. "What is your name, Holy One?"

The man smiled. "I am called Cyrus, young one, and I will see you again soon."

And just like that, his entire form was engulfed with embers, and he disappeared into the wind, leaving nothing behind.

As she watched the sparks disappear into the wind, she thought over the man, Cyrus', words.

Princess Migisi of the South, that was what he called her.

But what did it mean? She was no Chief's daughter, and she doubted that she ever will be.

As she walked back, she knew that she needed answers from Kwanita, starting now.


	11. A Promise

By the time she got back to the tepee, her mother and brother were nowhere in sight. She didn't know if she was supposed to be relieved or concerned.

Still, she supposed she should be glad that she had not walked into them, leading to her being questioned by them. Though, as she sat by the fire again, she began to wonder how she was going to approach Kwanita about the Holy One, Cyrus he said his name was.

There were so many things she wanted to ask, starting with how she knew Cyrus. He knew her, and had been surprised when her daughter saw him. What did it all mean? She wanted to know so badly, but would Kwanita answer her?

Almost like she had been summoned, Kwanita's shadow was seen at the entrance of the tepee, waiting.

"Enter," she called, and upon hearing those words, Kwanita walked in. Honan was nowhere nearby when she gazed past her, and immediately felt worry.

Seeing this, Kwanita smiled at her. "Don't worry my child, your brother is alright. He is working with the other boys at this moment."

The relief came so quickly that she could not comprehend it in the beginning. She wrapped the buffalo hive around her, taking comfort in its soft fur.

Her mother approached her, her smile gone from her face. "You have seen him, have you not Migisi?"

She snapped her head up towards Kwanita, shocked. When she didn't answer, Kwanita spoke up again.

"You saw Cyrus, Spirit King of the Sun, have you not?"

Shakily, she nodded. "Yes."

Kwanita said nothing for what felt like years, but then she looked at her daughter and smiled, a proud, happy smile, before it turned back into a frown. She sat beside her, taking her daughter onto her lap whilst gazing into the fire.

"Listen well Migisi," she began seriously, "what I am about to tell you is serious, and you must not speak to anyone else about this, not even Honan, do you understand?"

She looked up at her mother, confused and afraid all at once. "Mother?"

"Do you understand Migisi?"

She paused, then answered slowly. "Yes Mother."

Kwanita relaxed in what appeared to be relief, then she spoke up. "I know you have many questions daughter, and I will answer them in due time, but first, let me tell you a story of how different I am from those in my lands.

"I have existed for a long time daughter, and I have seen many things, things that I cannot unsee. I will not describe them to you, for you are young, and I do not want to destroy what innocence you have. I have grown without a mother or a father or brothers or sisters, and I lived a lonely existence, but I knew my purpose. I was to live for the people who lived in my lands, and remain here for as long as they exist. I was around two-hundred-years-old when I found that I could see the other side, and the one who created me.

"You have seen her daughter, and she is known by many names, but she is known as Gaia. She is the Earth, and she has created others like myself, but I knew that I would never meet or speak with them on friendly terms. After all, many humans cannot accept those that are different, and that includes you too my child. I wish that they would give you and Honan a chance, but I do not think that will happen for a long time.

"However, after I met Mother Gaia, I began to realize that I could summon spirits of many kinds, including spirits of the dead and the monsters that have terrorized my people for centuries. I could also travel to different worlds, worlds that no human can access, and it was there where I met him, the man you met today. He is the Spirit King of the Sun, the most powerful Spirit of the Sun.

"After that, I met the Spirit King of the Moon, who is called Iamar. I found myself visiting their worlds often, becoming familiar with their lands and people, and I found myself becoming close with them, of course I do not love them like the women love their husbands. However, I believe I cannot live without their support, and I have lived with it for centuries.

"Then, daughter, I became pregnant with my first child.

"I do not think I told you this before, daughter of mine, but the child I carried was not sired by any man, and I knew that it would be special when it was born, for Mother Gaia wished it to be. Then, months later, I gave birth to Elsu, your older brother.

"I couldn't have been happier when I first looked at him. He was so beautiful, so strong, and so brave, and I wanted to protect him and raise him with love and honor. But then..." Kwanita paused, and Migisi was surprised when she felt tears falling onto her face.

"Mother?"

"Elsu was barely able to walk when they came." Kwanita's voice took on a bitter and hateful note, and it made shivers run through her tiny body. "I was with Elsu, away from the village, when I spotted him. He wore clothing that I could not recognize, there was a long blade at his side, and a large stick that I would later learn was a firestick, which explodes and destroys anything it is pointed at. He had the skin of my people, the hair color of my people, but his eyes...I will never forget such eyes.

"They were the color of grass, so bright that I was surprised. Then, he saw Elsu, who I had not realized left my arms and was walking towards him. Seeing his appearance, he did not think that he was my child, my flesh and blood, and he took Elsu with him, ignoring my cries and Elsu's screams for me."

She stared up at Kwanita as the older woman tried to control the flow of her emotions, though she too began to feel the extent of her mother's grief and hatred.

"I would never see Elsu again for many years, but then one day I came across a man with long brown hair, brown eyes, and dirt brown skin. He may have been wearing different clothes, he may have been older than when I saw him last, and he may have had a different name, but I knew who he was. He was Elsu, my lost son, my child, and he still knew who I was and how much he loved me. I was happy, so happy, that day.

"Of course, he had to go back to the man who took him from me, and when he left, I was pregnant once more. Elsu was there when I gave birth to Honan, a child with hair as light as sand and eyes the color of wildflowers, and I will never forget the look of love, of awe, and the tears he had. When he held him, I found that I too was shedding tears, for I knew that Elsu was still the son I raised before he was taken by that man.

"And then I became pregnant with you, Migisi.

"When you were born, I never looked at a girl who was more beautiful than you. You had hair the color of wheat, eyes as blue as the sky, and skin the color of snow, just like Honan. However, I knew not what came over me when I saw that you were a daughter, but I knew I feared for your safety, so I made you into a son to keep you safe. I fear that whatever threatens you will be here in the future, and you must hide yourself."

"Mother?" She was confused, so confused. Kwanita's words did not make sense, but the fear overrode that confusion.

Kwanita looked at her daughter now. "Listen carefully Migisi," she began, "Elsu and Honan have not awakened my powers yet, but you have. You have seen Mother Gaia and you have seen Cyrus, and you will see the other world in the near future. However, you do not know how to use them."

She stayed silent as her mother continued.

"I will teach you how to use them, but not now. We are still in a village, and when we are out travelling, I will teach you then. However, I need you to promise me Migisi that you will use these powers wisely."

"Mother?"

"Promise me."

She stared at her mother, surprised and confused all at once. What was she saying? Were these powers bad? She may have never seen a monster of the kind the people spoke of, but she knew the people feared these creatures, and they were capable of destroying everything.

Kwanita even said she could summon these spirits, and that frightened her.

She nodded. "I will."

Kwanita smiled. "Thank you."


	12. Purpose

The next morning was the same as usual, though now she was being led by Kwanita through the village, Honan walking beside her. The people made hand gestures of respect towards her mother, but eyed her and Honan with poorly concealed fear and disgust. It had been a struggle to not run back to her tepee or, better yet, hide behind Kwanita's deerskin skirt.

She knew she and her brother looked different, or rather, were different from them. But she was sure that she wasn't an evil spirit.

Then she remembered her powers, and clung tighter to her mother's skirt.

She could summon evil spirits, the very beings these people feared with all their souls. She could talk to and see spirits, just like Kwanita said she could.

These people had the right to fear her.

Honan moved closer to her side. "Migisi?" he questioned, his quiet voice barely heard over the sounds of work around them. "Are you hurt?"

Migisi jumped, looking at her brother. She smiled as best she could. "I am unharmed Honan," she replied gently.

From how he didn't smile back, and the stern look in his eyes, he did not believe her words. However, he did not speak another word and continued walking by their mother's side, ignoring the looks he and his "brother" were receiving.

How long did he put up with this? She knew he had done nothing to deserve those looks, so why?

Why wouldn't the people give him a chance?

Kwanita then stopped in front of a crowd of boys, who were working on making weapons for the older men to use for hunting and battle. Seeing her, the boys ceased what they were doing and their bodies tensed, looking at Kwanita with wide eyes that seemed to sparkle upon seeing her.

They didn't see Migisi, and she wasn't sure if she wanted them to. She learned that children were easy to manipulate, and they follow the examples of their elders very quickly. She supposed she wasn't like them in appearance, but it did not stop her from wishing she was.

She found herself hating her hair, her eyes, and her skin. Why did Mother Gaia curse her with this body?

Then Honan was leaving her side.

"Honan?" she whispered. He didn't hear her, and looked at Kwanita, who smiled at him in reassurance.

"It is time you dedicated yourself to this village for the time my son," she told him. "Go on."

Honan looked reluctant, but he was quick to put on the face of one of the tribe's braves, and walked towards the boys, who eyed him with curiosity, hostility, and even fear. She tugged on Kwanita's skirt even tighter now, scared for her brother.

Kwanita placed a hand on her daughter's small shoulder. "Fear not Migisi," she whispered. "Honan is safe here. The boys will not harm my child, unless they wish for me to punish them and their family."

Her mother's face took on a dark tone, and her daughter felt chills through her at a ruthless pace. She believed her words, with all her being, and suddenly pitied anyone who crossed Kwanita.

Then her mother was calm again.

"Be good son," she called after Honan as he set to work. "We will be back before sundown to pick you up."

Honan nodded, but didn't look up from his work. Then Migisi found herself being led away from the area and towards an open field, where women were mixing something together, something that smelled sweet.

Something was beating hard against her chest.

"Mother?" she questioned. Kwanita smiled down at her.

"It's time you learned," said the older woman. "You are still young, but I want you to understand what will be expected of me and of you later on. It will be good later on if you need these lessons."

She felt something drop inside her when she heard her mother's words.

What was she talking about? Why did she sound like that?

Either way, she followed Kwanita's instructions, and walked the rest of the way to the women, who made gestures of respect and greeting to her before returning to work. Kwanita then proceeded to work with them, making sure her daughter was around her at all times.

All the while, Migisi watched her hands, admiring how graceful, how strong, and how sure she was of her work. She looked at her own hands, so small, so smooth, and so...weak. She suddenly hated her body, how it remained stuck as one age for ten moons at a time, meaning she would be unable to work alongside her mother and brother. She felt so helpless, so...useless.

What was the point of her existence?

Did she even want to know?

Or was she doomed to stay like this?

Her only answer was watching Kwanita work.


	13. Unsafe

While Kwanita was working with the women, Migisi found herself playing with four-legged animals with long pink tongues hanging from their mouths and long, furry tails which quickly moved back and forth in what she assumed was happiness. Around her, other young children played with her and the animals, paying no attention to Migisi's appearance or why she was here.

Migisi found herself shocked, yet relieved.

The animals playing with her were happily licking at her face, running after her, and allowing her to gently play with them in the snow, the cold clinging to their bodies and soon turning to water against them.

The children followed Migisi's lead, squealing and laughing in happiness, and Migisi felt her cheeks spread as a smile formed and a jumpy yet exciting feeling grew inside her chest. Was this what the tribe's children felt when playing? Was this what she was missing?

What foolishness she possessed.

Did Honan ever have fun like this when he was her age? Did Elsu? How was her brothers doing right now? Were those boys allowing Honan to work in peace, treating him like one of their own?

She wanted to check on him. It was only a matter of time before she tired of playing, and she wanted to check on her brother to make sure he was really doing okay. Kwanita surely would not notice her daughter's absence, would she?

She shook her head. No, it was not worth it. She did not want to be the subject of her mother's anger, and it would unwise of her to go against her at this time. She was just a child, a child in a village that feared her existence because of her appearance, and straying from her mother was sure to create trouble.

Still, why did she feel the urge to go to Honan's side?

Migisi jumped when she heard the children screaming and their footfalls moving away from her, and found herself growing frightened, for the screams were not the screams of joy that she heard before, but of fear. Looking around her, she found that the children had moved a great distance from her, staring at her with fear.

The animals' tails stopped wagging at this point, and while they too were staring at her, Migisi felt no hostility from them. She looked between them and the children, confused and frightened at why they were looking at her the way they were.

The women had also ceased working, their eyes burning into her back. However, their eyes couldn't compare to what she was seeing.

In front of her was a man. No, not a man, but a spirit. He was as tall as King Cyrus, his hair was messy and reached past his shoulders, his skin was a rich gray, his eyes were the matching color, his clothing looked alike the Sun King, except with colors that resembled the night sky and the moon, and his face was...perfect.

She was standing in front of another powerful Spirit.

But before Migisi could even move, the spirit looked up, a look of stern anger in his face. "Your son is in danger Kwanita," he said, his voice powerful, ancient, and melodious, and if it hadn't been for the anger in his voice, Migisi would've been put to sleep.

Her mother stepped beside her, and Migisi looked up to find Kwanita staring at the spirit in horror. "Are you certain?" she asked.

"Yes," responded the spirit.

Kwanita stared at the spirit before her jaw tightened and she grabbed her daughter's hand. "Come daughter," she ordered as she took off walking, Migisi barely able to keep up with her. As she stumbled after her mother, she looked back, but the spirit was gone, and all that was left were the women and children staring after them.

Suddenly Kwanita stopped, and Migisi bumped into her legs, but the older woman didn't seem to notice as she looked at the scene in front of her.

Looking that way, Migisi almost cried out at what she saw.

In front of them was Honan, and something red was trailing down his face and mouth. Something also surrounded his eye, a portion of his lip, and parts of his arms, and he was panting hard. He looked up at Kwanita and Migisi, his expression calm despite the pain he was feeling. Around him stood the boys from before, and they barely had those horrible wounds on their bodies, but there was some of that red liquid on their hands.

Migisi couldn't see any wounds on their hands.

She rushed to her brother's side. "Honan!" she called, kneeling by his side and touching his hurt face. "You are hurt!"

Honan smiled weakly at her. "I am unharmed Migisi," he whispered. "You need not worry about me."

"But--" Migisi was silenced when Honan placed a hand on her cheek.

"I am fine Migisi, truly I am. It is Mother you should be worried about."

What?

Migisi turned to face Kwanita, who had not moved from her spot since they arrived. But now there was something different about her, something angry, something horrible, something...not human. Her brown eyes, once so warm and caring, were now glowing a red that almost matched the liquid on Honan, full of anger, hatred, and malice. She stared at the boys with those eyes, and Migisi watched as those very boys froze in terror, tears appearing in their eyes.

Kwanita took a step towards them.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked slowly, her voice low and cold. She then knelt in front of the boys, her eyes still glowing and wide, and not once did Migisi see her blink.

"H-Holy One," whimpered one of the boys. "T-This is not what it--"

"Enough!" hissed Kwanita, causing everyone nearby to jump in fear. "I asked you a question young one, and I expect an answer, one that tells me nothing but the truth. Now, I will ask again, _what is the meaning of this_?"

No one responded, and Migisi could actually feel her mother's anger growing the longer the silence went. Eventually, Kwanita turned to her children, both of whom tensed when her eyes landed on them.

She walked over to them. "Honan," she called.

Honan flinched. "Yes Mother?"

"What is the meaning of this?"

Migisi felt her brother shaking as he forced himself to respond. "It is not that serious Mother. We were just playing with each other."

"I would not lie to me Honan," warned Kwanita. She then turned to the boys and the nearby tribesmen. "Leave my sight."

No one hesitated; the boys were immediately running off like they were being chased by an angry buffalo, and the villagers gathered their supplies as quickly as they could before they followed the boys' example. As soon as they were out of their sight, Kwanita turned back to her children, her glowing red eyes remaining.

"Now, I expect the truth Honan, and nothing more. What. Has. Happened. Here?" Their mother's voice left little room for argument, and Migisi felt Honan slump his shoulders.

His eyes were lowered in shame when he spoke up. "We were in a fight Mother," he said.

Migisi flinched away from him, surprised and horrified all at once, though if Kwanita was feeling the same, she did not show it.

"Over?"

"I did not hit first Mother, I promise you that. The boys had abandoned their work and went over to me, telling me how Migisi and I were monsters that should've been destroyed the moment we were born."

Kwanita stayed silent as Honan went on.

"I did not speak however and focused more on my work, but I did feel angry at how they were talking about Migisi and I Mother. We were not monsters, for just because we appear different, we still were like them. But then one of them hit me in the face, and the others started to join in.

"I fought back as best I could, but I was only able to handle two of them, and there were five of them in all. I thought I was going to die Mother, and no one helped me, even when they saw my wounds."

Migisi felt her eyes burn and her body shake like a leaf as her brother told the truth. Kwanita stared at her son for a few more moments before finally kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on his forehead, her eyes now glowing a warm brown.

A green light appeared around them, and Migisi watched with fascination as it moved around her mother and brother, seeping into the latter's wounds and getting rid of the red liquid. Kwanita was also chanting under her breath.

"Spirits of the earth," she whispered, "help me heal the wounds of the being before me, and destroy any pain."

The wounds on Honan slowly began to close up, the purple bumps on Honan's body disappeared, and the liquid followed soon after. Once it was satisfied that there were no other wounds on his body, the light vanished from existence.

Kwanita then stood up, her eyes no longer glowing, and she looked at her children sternly.

"Come children," she ordered. "We must prepare ourselves for the day tomorrow."

"Mother?" questioned the children.

"We are not safe here," added the older woman. "We will leave when the sun rises tomorrow. Now come my son, my daughter, we must prepare now."

Honan and Migisi followed their mother back to their tepee, not questioning her, though Migisi wanted to ask where would they go and how long they would be gone.

But she held her tongue. She supposed it did not matter now.


	14. Moon and Sky

They left at dawn the next day.

Migisi was strapped to Kwanita's back as the older woman carried the supplies they would need for their journey, and Honan walked beside her, holding their bag full of food and clothes. Migisi was allowed to carry their buffalo hives, but nothing else, and she often had to switch places with Honan when her brother got too tired to keep walking, and he would then be the one to carry their buffalo hives and Migisi their food and clothes.

But neither child asked where they were going, mostly because they were too afraid to ask.

Kwanita did not seem to mind this, but she did manage to keep her children calm by pointing out the different kinds of wildlife they encountered, and even the other entities that inhabited the lands they visited.

Now, it had been two days, and they set up camp near a stream that was concealed by the forest. Honan was already asleep, but Kwanita and Migisi stayed awake, listening to the sounds of the night and watching as the night went on without care.

Migisi suddenly envied it.

Kwanita had just put out the fire for the night, and she looked at her daughter, her expression calm. "Migisi," she began, "you have questions, do you not?"

"Ah?" Migisi stared at her mother with surprise.

"About what happened days ago." Kwanita sat down beside her daughter with a sigh. "I know you are confused daughter, even after you saw Iamar."

"Iamar?"

"Yes. I told you about him. He is the Spirit King of the Moon, and it is not often that he comes to Earth."

"I see. Then why was he?"

"I am unsure myself. He does enjoy coming to Earth at unexpected times, but I believe that he came to warn me about Honan being in danger, though he was surprised to see you too."

Migisi blinked in confusion.

"Migisi." Kwanita took a deep breath. "Have you not noticed how your eyes looked that day?"

"My eyes?" repeated Migisi. "No, I do not think I have."

Kwanita paused. "Your powers are awakening faster than I thought, but Migisi, when you saw Iamar, your eyes glowed."

"Glowed?"

"Yes, like mine, except they were blue."

Migisi thought for a moment; what did that mean? Was that supposed to be concerning? Did she see something she was not meant to see?

"Mother?" she asked.

Kwanita shook her head. "Forgive me Migisi, I suppose the work of the last two days has worn on my mind. Do not concern yourself with all this."

But even after her mother put her to sleep, Migisi was unsure if her words were true. However, whatever would happen would not be well, and she was unsure of when it would come and how.

What has her existence caused?


	15. Realm

What...?

What was this floor? This was not the forest floor, with its soft dirt and prickly grass, but this floor was hard, cold, and smooth.

She opened her eyes, wincing at the bright light that greeted her. Blinking her eyes, Migisi realized where she was.

She was inside a beautiful tent, but it wasn't a tent at all. Rather, the walls were straight and seemed to be made of hard earth, and the ground was as smooth and hard as she had felt it. There was no sign of dirt, grass, plants, or even animals, and Migisi wondered where she was and how she got there.

Where was Kwanita? Where was Honan?

Was anyone even in this place?

Shaking with cold, Migisi stood up and flinched when the sound of her feet echoed, much louder than her feet would br on dirt and water. It was a painful sound, and it only got worse when she heard the sound of strange footsteps heading her way.

Unlike her feet, there was a clang to these footfalls, sounding similar to a blade when it struck a rock, and the closer it got to her, the louder it became. Migisi could feel her head start to hurt as the sound continued, but she couldn't move to bring her hands to her ears.

Then the footsteps stopped right in front of her.

Migisi first saw strangely-clothed feet, which were covered with some shiny material that glowed a silver similar to the moon, as well as a blue that resembled the night sky. Slowly, Migisi looked up, the color following her eyes, and then she found herself looking into the silver eyes of a very beautiful and familiar man.

Then his powerful aura caught her eye next, and Migisi found herself falling back to her knees with a gasp of shock, horrified at how disrespectful she was.

"H-Hello, Holy One. Forgive me," she said, her voice weak with fear. She was worried that she may have offended the high spirit somehow, and was awaiting to hear some kind of angry scolding.

Instead, the Holy One laughed.

"Come now, daughter of Kwanita, do you not recognize me?" he asked.

"E-Eh?" Migisi looked up, her confusion overcoming her fear, and that allowed her to take in the spirit's appearance.

He was beautiful, with his messy hair that was as dark as a moonless night, skin the color of the moon, eyes of the same color, a body that contained more muscle than any brave in any tribe, and his strange clothing, despite how off place it was, was also beautiful.

She recognized him immediately.

"You are...Iamar, Spirit King of the Moon."

The Holy One, Iamar, smiled gently. "You are correct young one. I was looking forward to meet you."

Migisi blinked, and Iamar chuckled again.

"Come," he urged. "Let us talk somewhere else."

Almost like another spirit was controlling her body, Migisi stood up and followed the Holy One out of the painful hallway, her eyes and ears burning with pain as they walked.

She didn't dare voice her woes though, for she doubted that the Spirit King of the Moon would be forgiving of her if she were to ask such questions.

As such, the whereabouts and condition of her mother and brother would have to wait.


	16. The Warning

Iamar led Migisi down a series of paths that led to more confusing locations to the next. Now Migisi's head was starting to hurt for another reason altogether, though she had now gotten used to the sounds of their footsteps and the sight of all these bright colors.

Everywhere she could see the color white, and it seemed to continue no matter where they went. Migisi had never seen such a beautiful but bland place in her existence, and she suddenly wondered if this was what the spirit realms looked like, especially since Iamar seemed to know his way around this place.

Was this his home?

Finally, they came across a depression in the wall that seemed to lead to another wall. With a confused but mesmerized expression, Migisi watched as Iamar approached the wall, grabbed a metal object protruding from the wall, and twisted it, soon pushing the wall aside.

He looked at her, still smiling. "Come along child," he said, motioning for Migisi to follow. Snapped from her stupor, Migisi could feel her cheeks heat up before she complied, and followed Iamar inside the new area, allowing him to put the wall back in its first location with a strange clicking sound.

The room was different, and Migisi found herself looking around in wonder. The walls appeared to be nonexistent, despite being otherwise, the ceiling was nonexistent and showing the dark sky above as well as the full silver moon, the ground was the color of water, and there were items in the room that Migisi didn't know the use for. However, on one of them, she saw what she believed was some kind of food, but she was unsure.

Still, she had to admit that there was some kind of beauty to it all that she doubted anything earthly could compare to.

Iamar walked by her side, and Migisi jumped, standing to full attention, her body straightened. Iamar just smiled and turned to face her once more.

"Do not worry child, I mean you no harm," he said. He then moved towards one of the items, specifically the one located by the nearest wall, and the soft fabric under the Holy One moved with him as he sat on it.

"Come child," ordered Iamar. When Migisi didn't move the first time, he continued. "I know you have a lot of questions, and I will do my best to answer them. However, you have my word when I say that I truly mean you no harm."

Migisi jumped with horror. "F-Forgive me Holy One! I-I did not mean to--"

"You did not offend me child," Iamar interrupted gently. "Now, please, sit. I will answer any question you may have."

Migisi hesitated before she slowly began to move towards the Spirit King, her steps unsure and her body trembling. She didn't understand, but she truly felt weary of this spirit, a Spirit King, who was in her realm not so long ago to give her mother the warning of the danger Honan was in. So many questions were running through her head at this moment.

Why was he being so kind to her?

Why was she here?

What did he want from her?

Why was she so afraid?

Then Migisi found herself nearly colliding with the item before her, the rim of the nearest depression reaching her chest. She eyed it, seeing that the item seemed to be made of both some kind of soft and silky fabric and something sturdy, almost like wood. She eyed Iamar again before she moved to join him, the soft fabric caressing her skin like water.

This fabric did not come from an animal. Migisi ended up feeling it in wonder, running her hands over it even when she got on and sat by the Spirit King's side. What kind of anomaly was this?

Iamar's voice drew her back from her thoughts.

"The fabric is called silk."

Migisi looked at him, eyes full of wonder. "Silk?" she repeated.

"Yes, it is silk." Iamar looked at the cushions under him. "Of course, this fabric is not made of animals like Kwanita's people make their clothing and materials out of, but rather a plant, however the plant this silk was made from is different from the other silk plants back on Earth."

Migisi's eyes widened. "My mother! Is she alright? Is my brother alright?"

"They are both fine Migisi," Iamar answered. "Rather, they are still on Earth, just as your sleeping body is now."

"Wh..." Migisi stared at the Spirit King. "What do you mean Holy One?"

"Your spirit is here with me Migisi. It is how you are able to speak to me right here and now, why you are able to be here at all." Iamar looked out the window, Migisi's eyes following his, and she saw a land full of water, silver grounds, and tepees that were bigger, sturdier, and more beautiful than the tepees she's seen and been in. They went on for miles, and Migisi could even see some people, people who looked nearly like Iamar with his skin and beauty, but even from here she could sense how low their auras were compared with Iamar.

"Where is this?" she found herself asking. Flinching, Migisi opened her mouth to apologize, but Iamar held up a hand.

"This is my world child, the realm of the moon spirits like myself. It is a world that not many humans can enter, not even when they become spirits of the dead. It also occurs with other spirit realms, like Cyrus'."

"Cyrus?" Migisi asked in surprise. "The Spirit King of the Sun?"

"Ah, so you remember him," said Iamar. "I do not know why I'm surprised, Cyrus always spoke of you, saying that one of Kwanita's children was awakening their powers early in their life. Imagine my surprise when I learned that he was right child."

"Ah?" Migisi could not understand anything the Spirit King was saying.

"Oh, forgive me." Iamar unleashed an embarrassed chuckle. "Cyrus and I are acquaintances, being that we are the Spirit Kings of the Sun and Moon. We have to know each other's interests and where they lie. It is what has helped us over these last millions of years."

Migisi didn't say a word.

"However, that is not why I brought you here Migisi."

"Eh?"

Iamar's face was wiped of its previous smile, and Migisi was suddenly worried about what would happen next. "You need to understand what will happen next Migisi, and this will help you the older you get."

"W-What is it?" asked Migisi.

Iamar's silver eyes bore into her blue ones. "Unlike your brothers, your powers are growing very early, and at a fast rate. As a result, it will only be a matter of time before you attract both the light spirits and the dark spirits."

Migisi stayed silent, too afraid to say anything.

"Has Kwanita said nothing to you in regard to this?" Iamar sounded concerned over this.

Slowly, Migisi shook her head. "N-No, she has not, Holy One."

Iamar was silent a moment. "I see. Then she will need to tell you when you wake up. She should not keep this secret hidden from her own daughter."

"H-Holy One, forgive me, but how important is this?"

"Very." Iamar looked at his hands at this point. "If your powers continue to go on untrained, it will lead to catastrophic consequences, both of the physical world and the spirit worlds. This is why you were brought here before me Migisi, and you will need to see the results of what damage your powers will cause."

Iamar snapped his fingers, and suddenly Migisi's vision was full of the colors red and black, though it was gone after a few moments. When her vision came to, she saw a horrifying sight.

Monsters of unimaginable horrors were wreaking havoc to everything that was unfortunate enough to get in their path, whether they be trees, animals, and even people. Migisi saw many tribes being torn down, heard the screams of fear, pain, and terror from men, women, and children alike, and saw the ground became stained with the color of blood.

And through it all, standing there, her eyes glowing an ominous red with her skin and clothing covered in the same red on the ground, her expression blank, her long wheat hair blowing in the wind, was her. She looked older, but Migisi knew that girl was her, for who else did she know had that appearance?

And at her feet, lifeless and covered in red, was Kwanita, Honan, and Elsu.

"Stop," she begged. "Please Holy One, I beg you, stop this! Please! STOP!"

Then, just as quickly as it came, the vision disappeared, and Migisi found herself back in the strange room with Iamar.

He was looking at her sternly, but with a hint of pity. "This is why child, Kwanita shouldn't have kept this hidden from you, but you must get your powers under control before something like this happens. Forgive me for showing you that, but you must understand."

Migisi shakily nodded. "I understand Holy One. I understand."

Iamar nodded. "Good. Now, you must go back to Earth, but believe me when I say this, Princess Migisi of the South, we will meet again, and you will meet Cyrus again. You have my word on that."

Then, before Migisi could say another word, her body was floating, and her senses started to disappear.

Then everything went black.


	17. True

The warmth of the buffalo hive greeted Migisi's senses first. Then, it was the smell of the trees, the grass, and the dirt. Finally, the chill of the morning.

Tiredly, Migisi opened her eyes, seeing a strange essence passing over her. Even from where she was, she could taste the moisture of it as it glided over her, slower than a river. She tiredly smiled at the sight.

Kwanita said this was called a mist, and it was made of water and appeared during most times the sun rises.

Wait.

All sleep vanished from her, and with a gasp, Migisi shot upwards, the sudden movement making her feel ill for a short moment before she looked around frantically.

She almost cried with relief when she saw Honan sleeping next to her, his own buffalo hive close to hers, and when she saw their mother over by the trees, making strange but beautiful motions with her hands, her lips moving. Then, as if sensing her daughter's eyes on her, Kwanita turned to face her, a smile gracing her face.

She walked over to her.

"Good morning Migisi," she greeted quietly. She then looked over her daughter, her smile disappearing. "What is wrong?"

"Mother..." Migisi took a deep breath. "What will happen if I lose control of my abilities?"

Her mother went silent, her expression going blank. Then, slowly, she said, "Where did you think of that?"

"The Holy Spirit King of the Moon, Iamar, Mother." Migisi was suddenly afraid after she finished speaking.

Kwanita went silent once more, a thoughtful expression appearing on her features. She moved to sit beside Migisi, her deerskin skirts creating a halo around her.

"Did you see him while you were sleeping Migisi?" her mother finally asked.

Reluctantly, Migisi nodded.

Kwanita nodded to herself. "That was not a dream Migisi," she said. "Iamar told me what he did."

"Ah?" Migisi stared at her mother in alarm.

"You have not dreamed Migisi," Kwanita continued, "rather you were brought before Iamar in his realm, something that he rarely does with people except when they have powers like mine. However, he is right Migisi, you need to be trained on how to use your powers, and soon."

"Mother?" questioned Migisi fearfully.

Kwanita sighed. "Forgive me Migisi, I do not mean to frighten you, but I do not want to take any chances with that vision Iamar showed you coming true. I was lucky to have someone else to train me so I could have the control I have now, but you need it now, and I will be the one who teaches you."

"You will?" Migisi repeated. "When?"

"When we are safe." With a smile, Kwanita stood up. "Now, wake your brother. We must continue our journey. We are not safe yet."


	18. The Kings

They continued traveling across the land, and not once did Kwanita seem to be in any mood to stop.

In fact, they had traveled so much that they had been traveling for three years now.

Migisi had been stumped for that amount of time too, especially since Kwanita was not telling her why they were always moving. The only thing she would tell her was that they were in danger, and they would need to keep moving.

Migisi sincerely doubted that a single tribe could cause this sense of panic to arise in her mother, a grown woman no less.

Honan also seemed just as confused, though unlike her, he never questioned their mother, and to be honest, that surprised Migisi.

Why would her brother not say anything about their mother's behavior? Migisi could understand trusting her, in fact Migisi could not find it in herself to distrust Kwanita, but why wasn't he saying anything?

They had stopped again, this time at a river that roared as it moved. The night sky had a bright full moon above, illuminating the waters and the forest surrounding it. Migisi stayed up, listening to Kwanita and Honan's soft breathing as they slept, but she could not sleep. The beauty of Earth prevented her from sleeping.

She trailed the water, watching as the ripples streamed with the rest of the river. The water's coldness spread through her tiny body, but Migisi couldn't find it in herself to care at this time. The soft wind that ruffled the leaves also produced a melody that relaxed her senses, but even that couldn't get Migisi to fall asleep.

Then she heard them: the sound of two pairs of feet heading towards her.

Migisi sat up, alarmed and ready to wake her mother. She sat there, frozen, and hoping that the spirits would keep those potential intruders away, but as the footsteps got louder and closer, Migisi felt her stomach sink.

But then she saw an orange light.

What...? Migisi may not be familiar with how braves hunt, but she was sure that they would never bring a burning wood with them without the risk of setting the trees aflame or drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

The light got bigger the closer it got to her, and with wide eyes, Migisi saw long flaming hair, burning eyes, and familiar molten armor.

She found herself bowing her head again when the figure stopped before her. "Holy One," she greeted shyly.

The last pair of footsteps stopped as well, and Migisi saw a pair of silver-clad feet and a dark blue blanket trailing after them. Her eyes widened briefly before she began to dig her forehead in the soil.

"Holy One," she greeted.

The two were silent a moment. "Raise your head child." As soon as she was straight again, Migisi looked into Cyrus' burning eyes and Iamar's silver eyes, though it took every ounce of self-control to not stare at Iamar.

The reason for her attempt to stare was his skin, or rather what was happening to it. Under the moon's light, his skin was sparkling like a rare gem, which Kwanita had shown her children during their travels. Migisi remembered finding true beauty and perfection in those gems, and actually wanted to keep one of them, though Kwanita had them buried back into the soil, warning her children to keep away from it.

"Greed can kill my children," she told them. "That is why you will need to control yourselves around these objects. Otherwise, it will drive you to kill others, even your loved ones, just to your own self-gain."

Migisi had pictured it, and the image of that vision Iamar showed her was enough to make her shiver. She could imagine herself being that way if greed overtook her, and made a vow to follow Kwanita's advice for her own and her family's welfare.

She wasn't sure if Honan felt the same way however, and that scared her.

But now, standing here, and seeing the skin of the Spirit King of the Moon glow like a rare gem was truly a beautiful thing in itself.

_No, no, no, you must not go there Migisi! _she scolded herself. _You promised you would have better control than this!_

Then both men knelt to her height, drawing Migisi's attention away from her thoughts.

"Holy Ones?" she questioned curiously.

Both men smiled.

"You look well child," said Cyrus. "It seems Kwanita has been training you to use your powers well."

Oh yes. During these last three years, whenever Honan went to sleep, Kwanita would teach Migisi the basics of her powers. It had been a difficult process, but now Migisi was able to summon weaker spirits of all kinds and even speak with them for long periods of time. However, Migisi still had a long way to go, and it would be a long time before she would be able to reach her mother's level with her own powers.

Still, Migisi felt at ease, for with her mother training her, the prospect of the vision coming true were becoming slim.

"Holy Ones," Migisi began, "what is it you want from me?"

She winced, horrified at how forward she was. She slammed her head back into the ground. "F-Forgive me Holy Ones! I-I didn't mean to--"

But Cyrus and Iamar laughed, silencing Migisi. With a confused sound, she looked up, finding Cyrus looking to Iamar.

"Have you taught her to be like that Iamar?" he asked.

Iamar gave the Spirit King a playful glare. "Not in the very least," he responded. "Though I will admit, she takes after Kwanita."

Cyrus nodded. "And I think you're right." He looked back to Migisi, holding out a hand.

Migisi eyed it, confused.

Cyrus just smiled. "Come, child, there is something Cyrus and I wish to show you."

Migisi's mouth parted slightly. She looked back at her sleeping family, to the Spirit Kings, and back again.

"Do not worry child," said Cyrus. "We will not be gone long. You can trust us."

Migisi knew she should have felt otherwise, but she couldn't. There was no malicious intent coming from them, and they were not giving her a reason to refuse. So, with a slow nod, she took their hands, allowing her to bring her back to her feet and take away from her mother and brother.

As they walked into the woods, Migisi felt worried. What this the right choice? Was she making the right decision?

She hoped that the Holy Ones would not make her regret her decision to trust them.


	19. Ominous War

The Spirit Kings took her deep into the woods, and eventually they were so far away from Kwanita and Honan that Migisi was starting to doubt her decision to trust the two spirits. Still, she found herself unable to feel dread, for even after they walked far, neither Cyrus or Iamar were showing any malicious intent towards her.

Then, just when she thought that, the two spirits stopped, causing Migisi to almost collide with them.

"Ah!" She jumped back, stunned. "H-Holy--"

She ceased her speech when she realized what was around her. In the trees, near the ground, and floating around them were a bunch of soft yellow lights, and from the sound of wings, Migisi was able to tell that they were bugs of some kind. She stared at them in awe, wondering if these were spirits or some kind of being that belonged to Cyrus.

As if by that thought alone, Cyrus held out a hand, as did Iamar, and a few of the bugs landed on their fingers, making them glow a gentle light. They then turned to Migisi and gently took her hands with their untouched ones, placing the bugs into them.

Migisi flinched at the ticklish feeling of the bugs moving on her skin, but she watched them intently, enjoying the sight of their soft glow lighting her hands up before they flew away to join their brethren.

With a soft smile, Migisi looked at the two Spirit Kings, her smile disappearing.

"Forgive me Holy Ones, but why have you brought me here?"

The two spirits were no longer smiling at this point. "We came here to warn you child," said Cyrus.

A vicious cold briefly ran through Migisi's body, causing her skin to feel strangely sharp. "Is this about my powers?"

"No, we have no concern about that with Kwanita teaching you," said Cyrus.

"Then--"

"Let us finish little one," Iamar interrupted, holding up a hand. "War is coming to Kwanita's lands, and it is something we fear she will not be able to handle. You must prepare yourself Princess Migisi."

"War?" questioned Migisi, and the cold returned, lasting longer than the last time. "W-Who would--"

"We will let you know when the time comes child, but for now, you must be careful, and you are the only one who can protect yourself now."

As soon as they said those words, Migisi's body was flying, and she found herself lying on the ground. With a gasp, she shot upwards, finding herself no longer in the forest, her mother and brother still sleeping beside her.

She drew her knees up to her chest with a sigh. Another dream? No, that could not be it, for it felt so real, and Kwanita told her that normal dreams were not supposed to feel like that unless it was delivering a message.

But now Migisi was scared, and the Spirit Kings' words only served to increase it.

War. A war her mother could not win.

What did that mean?


	20. Home

They continued on the moment the sun rose.

Cyrus and Iamar's words stayed in Migisi's mind into the morning, and she was not sure how she could stop it. She figured that it had to be a dream, but then why did it feel so real? Did her mother know of this too? Did Cyrus and Iamar visit her while she slept as well? Whatever the case, Kwanita did not bring the subject up, whether because she did not dream of them or she did not want to frighten her daughter, Migisi wasn't sure.

But anything could have been better than the silence.

They traveled until the sun was halfway across the sky, and they were now traveling in fields of purple flowers. Migisi fingered each one they passed, mesmerized by their simple beauty, and she even brought it upon herself to pick a few of them for Kwanita. Honan also took it upon himself to join her, though he picked much more than his sister did.

By the time they returned to their mother, the only thing Migisi could see of the top part of her brother was his hair.

Kwanita stared at Honan in bewilderment for a moment, before she began to chuckle, then giggle, then laugh out loud. Honan grinned in victory, while Migisi looked between her mother and brother, confused on what was so funny.

And what was this feeling in her chest?

"Oh Honan, Migisi, what are you two doing?" asked Kwanita once she calmed herself.

Honan's smile disappeared while his cheeks turned red, almost the color of tomatoes. "W-We picked these for you Mother."

Kwanita smiled softly before she got to her knees. "You should not pick so much flowers my sons, it will not be good for the flowers."

Both children blinked. "What do you mean?" asked Honan.

Kwanita picked up a flower, eyeing it sadly. "When a flower is picked, it will not last long. Plant life cannot live without dirt, water, and the light of the sun, and without one of them, they will wilt until nothing is left of them. They look fine now, but soon they will wilt."

Migisi flinched, and as if the flowers stung her, she threw them back into the fields, guilt coursing through her. Honan did the same, tears appearing in the corners of his eyes, and Migisi even heard him muttering apologies to the flowers, how he didn't know.

Then both children yelped when Kwanita swooped them up into a hug, her warmth and smile erasing any guilt and horror from them.

"Do not fret my children," she whispered to them. "They will come back, and you did not know. Next time you will only admire them and not pluck them. You can do that for Mother, can you?"

Migisi and Honan nodded.

With another smile, Kwanita straightened, her children still in her hold, and looked over the horizon. Migisi and Honan followed her eyes, just as a light wind blew past, taking some of the petals of the flowers with them. Migisi watched, transfixed, and suddenly had the urge to run through the fields, to smell the flowers, to caress their petals and stems, to feel the sun on her face, everything, even after she plucked those poor plants.

Kwanita knelt back down, setting her children on the ground. "Go on my sons," she urged gently. "I will be right here waiting."

Smiling, Migisi and Honan took off running right into the fields.

As she ran through the fields of flowers, the soft petals and the scent of the flowers caressing her senses, Migisi felt all her worries melt away and the feeling of euphoria and freedom overtake it. She spread out her arms, allowing the flowers to caress her more and the stems to slap against her. The dirt, despite being uneven, was gentle on her feet, and with each footstep, Migisi compelled herself to run faster.

A strange sound was heard above her, and Migisi looked up into the sky, but did not stop running. What she saw made her eyes widen with wonder.

It was a bird, but it wasn't like anyone she had ever seen. It's feathers were as dark as the soil underneath her, but its head was made up of pure white feathers. Its beak was the color of the sun itself, and its body was strong and powerful. Then, as if sensing her eyes on it, the bird looked down at her, then let out another squawk that sounded so majestic that Migisi was urged to follow it when it took off in another direction.

And she did. She ran through the fields, keeping the beautiful creature in her sights, her long wheat hair flying with the wind and her smile spreading. Her lungs and body started to hurt, but she didn't care. She wanted to follow this bird forever, know its purpose, its name, everything.

Then she collided into something sturdy.

The creature screeched as Migisi flew back to the ground, stunned, and as she recovered, she saw the creature before her making scared noises, its hooves stomping into the ground and its bright hair flying with the wind. Migisi began to back away, now scared herself, especially when multiple pairs of footsteps began to stomp her way.

A man's voice yelled over the screaming horse, and Migisi could see the reins being yanked, forcing the horse to go a certain direction. She watched as a man with long dark hair, dark skin, and a strong body fought to get the horse under control, his dark eyes not looking her way.

Though Migisi didn't have time to see that, for more men surrounded her, arrows drawn and their faces full of hostility.

One of them hissed something at her, but Migisi couldn't understand what they were saying. She began shaking, wrapping her small arms around herself as her eyes burned with unshed tears.

The man screamed at her again, drawing his arrow even deeper, and Migisi cried out in fear.

"Please!" she cried. "Leave me be! I did not mean to scare the horse! Please, leave me be!"

The men did not understand her, and the man who screamed at her turned towards the others and talked to them, their arrows and clubs ready to pummel her. Migisi shut her eyes, waiting for the pain to strike.

Then she heard a voice, a familiar voice. And it was speaking in a language she did not understand.

Then, Kwanita was kneeling beside her, a worried expression on her face, but her eyes stayed on the men.

She spoke again, seeming to be pleading. The men were eyeing Kwanita with wide, horrified eyes, and before Migisi could understand what was happening, they dropped their weapons and collapsed to their knees, bowing before Kwanita.

They were speaking now, probably a prayer to Kwanita and, from their postures and voice tones, pleas of forgiveness. Meanwhile, Migisi felt Honan embrace her hard, which she returned completely.

After a bit of talking, Kwanita motioned for the men to stand, which they did, and she turned to her children.

"Migisi," she began, her voice low, "what were you thinking?"

Migisi felt her cheeks heat up in response to her shame. "Mother, I--"

"I said you could play in the fields, but nowhere did I say you could leave the fields. Do you know how worried I was when you took off running elsewhere?"

Migisi didn't say a word.

"Not only that, but when your brother and I find you, you are caught in a misunderstanding!" Kwanita was making angry hand motions as she spoke. "You could've been killed!"

"I..." Migisi could feel her eyes burn with tears, which slowly cascaded down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Mother..."

Kwanita said nothing, but she walked towards her daughter and got to her knees, all while Migisi stared at the ground, too ashamed to look her mother in the face after what she did. She knew the extent of what almost happened, but that bird...that bird was so beautiful that she wanted to go after it. She never thought...

Oh spirits of the earth and sky, she was a horrible daughter.

Migisi flinched when she felt Kwanita's fingers touch her chin, propelling it upwards so she was looking at her mother.

"You must understand Migisi, the world is full of dangers, and if you are not cautious, you could get hurt or, spirits forbid, killed. There will come a time when I cannot protect you, a time when your brothers cannot protect you."

Migisi blinked up at Kwanita. "Mother?"

Kwanita smiled sadly. "You are still a child my son, but when you are older, you will understand."

She then returned to her feet, facing the men once more to speak to them in their language, and leaving Migisi to watch her mother, confused and wanting to learn more. However, she doubted Kwanita would answer, for she was right; she was still a child, and she did not understand, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

But Honan's voice drew her attention.

"What were you thinking?!" he demanded, his voice as low as a whisper. "Do you realize how scared I was when you began running into the forest?"

The shame returned. "Forgive me brother," she whispered back. "I did not know."

"You did not know." Honan did not sound pleased at her answer. "You almost got yourself killed Migisi!"

"I know, I know!" Migisi glared at Honan. "I already understand the extent of my decision, so do not repeat what Mother has already told me. I have learned my lesson, so please, do not make it worse for me."

Honan looked like he wanted to keep speaking, but nothing came forth. Eventually, his face relaxed to an exhausted expression, an expression that made his eyes turn almost as dark as the evening sky.

"Forgive me Migisi," he said, still whispering. "I was reacting out of fear."

Migisi smiled weakly. "I understand Brother, truly. I would have done the same if it was you."

Honan smiled tiredly.

Then Kwanita returned, smiling down at her children gently. Behind her, the men followed, eyeing the children with weariness, but their fears from before were nowhere to be seen. Migisi looked up at her mother, confused.

"Migisi, Honan," she began, "these men are from the Na'i tribe. They are about to lead us back to their village."

Migisi had to keep herself from jumping. "Mother, why would...why are we going there?"

"They offered us a home and protection Migisi," Kwanita answered. "And we have been on the road for a long while, so we should find a new home now. You have my word that we are safe with the Na'i, I promise you."

It was hard to believe her, but Migisi wanted to believe her mother, she truly did. And as they followed the men to their village, Migisi hoped things would not end as poorly as with the last tribe.

She didn't want to feel unsafe in her own home again. Not ever again.


	21. Li'at

It was strange, getting used to their new village.

While they had been leading them there, the men took them through the forest, their steps quiet and precise. Migisi had tried to match their natural grace more than once, but it had not been an easy task in this unfamiliar terrain, where there were so many fallen branches, big and small, laying about on the ground. There were also various leaves that lay on the dirt, roots erupting from it, and rocks scattered about.

She had decided she did not like that ground.

The village itself had been just as strange too, and while Migisi had spotted some familiarities as with her birth tribe, this was different. For one, the Na'i lived in the forest, so the sun barely peaked through the trees. For another, the people dressed differently, with their long clothing, their hair various lengths, and their shoes steady and protective from the earthly elements. Then, there were the people themselves.

They were...odd.

When she, Honan, and Kwanita were announced to the Na'i tribe, many of their reactions varied depending on who they were addressing.

For Kwanita, the people, specifically the elders, immediately recognized her and immediately paid their respects for her in various ways. Kwanita herself greeted them in their language, and Migisi found herself feeling frustrated that she couldn't understand anything they were saying, but she kept it in check.

But then, when the people looked upon her and Honan, Migisi was unsure if she was supposed to be afraid or even a little relieved, as the people actually looked curious at their appearance, but then again there was the sort of hostility about them that reminded Migisi of their last tribe.

Her entire body felt like it was ready to collapse to the ground upon seeing that, those horrible looks that she had been hoping to get away from, what her mother and Honan were hoping to get away from.

But, either way, the people seemed to greet them warmly, or what Migisi hoped was a warm welcome.

She wouldn't have been surprised if that welcome had been solely for Kwanita, but it still hurt.

Still, it had been difficult, getting used to their new life. The work was the same, but with the Na'i, she was expected to work with the boys as soon as she was able, helping them carry the baskets upon baskets of weapons and even going with the men for hunting. The work would take all day, and by the end of the day, Migisi would collapse onto her mat as soon as she saw it, and would lose herself to the land of dreams shortly after.

Second, learning the language had been easy but difficult at the same time, and although the people were patient with her and Honan, they were very strict with her whenever she made a mistake. Those experiences had not been pleasant, and it wasn't something Migisi wanted to experience again if she could help it.

And finally, the customs were different from the ones she had seen with the last tribe. It wasn't just with the work, but she had been expected to learn a dance that celebrated the birth of the forest god, Ereth'e, a dance that all genders had to learn, not only to appease the god, but also to make them desirable for the opposite gender and create marriages. Of course, strangely, Kwanita was allowed to not participate, but her children had no such thing.

It was horrible enough that Migisi knew that would probably never happen, and if they were even lucky, the tribe wouldn't attempt to cast her, her brother, or Kwanita out when she and Honan fail to age like the other children. Still, the thought of having to participate in this dance was painful for her.

It reminded her that she was still living a lie, a lie that was created to protect her from others, including Honan.

Honan. He still didn't know, and Migisi didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

But she supposed it was neither, but that did not dull the ache in her chest.

In fact, sometimes she would cry herself to sleep at night, so quietly that no one heard her of course, and when morning came her face would feel dry and cracked, like dry ground. She would instantly wash her face when no one was looking before she would go about the duties set out for her.

The work proved to be a wonderful distraction, despite how hard it was.

Now, they had been here for months, and by now Migisi was starting to get used to her new life. She would wake up, have breakfast inside the tepee, then go out with Honan and the men to either work on weapons or be taken out of the village to learn how to hunt.

Hunting.

The first time Migisi saw the large, beautiful elk collapse to the ground and take its final breaths, she had been struggling not to cry. The elk was so beautiful, so majestic, and yet they had to destroy all that so the village people could be fed.

She understood why they had to do this, she truly did, but it still hurt.

Then, as they were heading back, one of the men took Migisi aside. He could be considered handsome for his old age, but there was still this strength about him that enabled him to keep going in his existence. He also wore a patient smile on his face that immediately put Migisi at ease, and once they were away from the other men, he spoke to her.

"What troubles you young one?" he asked kindly.

His question surprised Migisi, but moments later it became a struggle not to cry as she forced herself to reply.

"We're hurting him," she said. "I know that we need to eat, but it...he looked like he was in so much pain." Migisi could feel her shoulders trembling as she continued her fight against her tears.

She couldn't appear weak in front of this elder, not here, not now.

But the man just smiled patiently and placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is your first time encountering death, is it young one?" At Migisi's nod, he continued. "I understand your feelings boy, watching a living soul perish is no easy sight, not even when you encounter it many times. I suppose it gets easier as the years pass by, but the pain will never dull. I'm glad to see how much you care for all living things young one."

Migisi smiled weakly.

"However, you must remember one thing." Migisi looked up at the man in confusion. "When we have to kill our animal brothers and sisters, we always ask for their forgiveness for having to end their lives, and we pray that they will understand, but we need their meat for food, their hives for clothing and shelter, and their bones for weapons. One day, you will be expected to take a life young one, but you must remember to ask for forgiveness, or else a restless spirit will curse you."

Migisi shivered at the thought, but nodded with a weak smile.

The elder smiled slightly before standing back up. "Now, we must return to the village before the men wonder where we have disappeared to."

Migisi nodded, and as they walked back to the village, she looked back up at him.

"What is your name T'iat?" she asked respectively.

The man looked down at her. "I am called Li'at young one, and you are called Migisi correct?"

Migisi nodded.

"Well, it's an honor to meet a child of the goddess. I look forward to talking with you in the future."

When they finally got back to the village, Li'at disappeared, leaving Migisi alone to return to Kwanita, who had awaiting her and Honan's return. That was another tradition of the Na'i, as soon as the men return to the village, the women and younger children would greet them and welcome them home.

This was so different from their old tribe.

"Why are you smiling Migisi?" Kwanita asked after she greeted her children and Honan went to go play with the other children, staying within sight of his mother and sister.

"Hm?" Migisi hadn't realized she had been smiling all this time. "Oh, I have met a man named Li'at."

"Li'at?"

"Yes Mother, I think I have made a new friend."


	22. Fading Summer

Months passed since they arrived to the Na'i tribe, and Migisi no longer felt the familiar feeling that brought much discomfort upon her during the first weeks they arrived here. She could now speak the Na'i language fluently, started enjoying the work better, and was even starting to enjoy her purpose all the more.

The people, while they had been initially hostile to her and Honan at first, were now seeing them as a member of their tribe, and Migisi found herself playing with the other village children more and more when she wasn't hunting with the men and Honan. The animals were also fun to take care of, especially the dogs and horses, the former who always attacked her with their tongues whenever she came within their sight.

It took three men to calm them down, and by then Migisi had been covered in sticky water, and she would have to bathe in the streams to get rid of it.

She didn't mind though.

Their new life was better than Migisi could ever hope it would be, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Though, now, the summer was fading away and autumn was taking its place, with the leaves turning into an orange that resembled a dawn, a yellow that resembled the sun, and even a brown that resembled the dirt. Migisi would sometimes watch as they struggled to hang on to their homes, before ultimately losing that battle and slowly gliding to the ground.

How could this be so beautiful, yet so sad at the same time? Migisi knew the leaves would come back next summer, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard to not watch this struggle between life and death.

She needed to get used to this, and quickly.

One morning, Migisi and Honan had gotten out of their tepee and were ready to go with the men when they spotted the people busying themselves with taking down the tepees, placing their necessities in bags, and gathering the animals.

"Oh good, you are awake." Migisi and Honan looked towards their mother, who was holding a bag filled with what appeared to be various tools for the crops and some food. "Get yourselves ready, we need to leave before the sun reaches the middle of the sky."

"Mother?" The children watched with confusion as Kwanita moved to take down the tepee, but not before she checked inside to make sure the fire was completely out and taking out the sleeping mats and handing them to Migisi and Honan. "What is going on?"

"The summer is fading," Kwanita explained, not taking her eyes off her work. "That means that when winter befalls us, we will not be able to find the food and tools we need once that happens. We need to move to a new land for the winter."

"Ah?" Migisi looked into the forest, and although she saw the trees, she suddenly missed them. "W-Will we ever come back?"

"When the summer returns daughter." Kwanita then stood. "Now, help the men with saddling the horses. We need to be on the move before the sun reaches the top of our heads."

Despite their various questions and curiosities, the children did as they were told, helping as much as they could as the men saddled up the horses with tools, food, water pitchers, and even their neatly folded tepees. The horses were taking the load like it was nothing, showing no discomfort or weakness, and Migisi found herself watching them with admiration, taking in their strong bodies and steady legs.

What magnificent creatures.

Eventually, the men turned to them.

"Go to your mother," they ordered. "You are to help her with the load she carries. That goes for the rest of you." They said the last part to the other children behind Migisi and Honan, who were quick to follow the men's orders, with Migisi and Honan not too far behind.

By the time they reached Kwanita, she was already done packing up all their stuff, and they worked to carry the lighter items, like the tepees and the bags carrying their sleeping mats, while Kwanita carried the tools and some of their food.

Once they were ready, Kwanita turned to her children. "Are you ready?" she asked.

The children nodded. "Yes Mother."

Kwanita nodded, though Migisi used her free hand to pull lightly at her mother's skirt, drawing back her attention.

"Do you promise we will come back Mother? When summer returns."

Kwanita smiled. "Of course we will daughter, we just need to find a safer place for the winter, that is all. We will come back once the snow has melted for good."

Migisi smiled, though she suddenly felt sorrowful at her mother's words, and she couldn't understand why.


	23. Silhouette

The road had been long and hard, and in all honesty Migisi thought that they were never going to stop walking.

They had been on the road for days, and by then many of the trees they passed had almost all of their leaves gone, looking like those blackened skeletons she had seen once and hoped to never see again. And speaking of the leaves, most of them were located on the ground surrounding their parent, many of which had already crumbled to pieces and have long since been scattered by the wind.

It had also grown colder, which was why everyone had taken to wearing heavier clothing to protect themselves, and Migisi was wearing a heavy buffalo hive that covered her entire body saving for her feet and the upper portion of her face, and she was wearing thick moccasins that did well to keep the cold wet ground from colliding with her feet, and her long hair had been tied and stuffed under a hood attached to the buffalo hive.

If Migisi hadn't been so intent on placing one foot after the other, she probably would've laughed at how she looked like a round baby animal.

Still, the heavier clothing somehow made her load that much heavier, but Migisi didn't dare complain or let up. The other children appeared to be doing fine with their loads, including Honan, and she suddenly worried what she would look like if she was weaker than them. So she kept up with their strong pace as best she could, refusing to stop until the stop to make camp was announced, and she tried to slowly set down her load despite her body screaming for her to just drop it and collapse right then and there.

Gods how her body ached. Her arms were shaking from having to carry the load for so long, her lower torso was burning like no other, her feet were barely able to hold their lighter weight, and her eyes were so heavy with exhaustion. However, Migisi forced herself to stay awake, not wanting to miss what could be important, and that proved to be another labor in itself, one she almost failed.

"Are you tired Migisi?" Migisi looked up into her mother's face, who didn't seem to look the least bit tired, but then again she wouldn't put it past Kwanita to be able to hide it easily or, better yet, be used to this kind of labor.

Migisi suddenly wished that she was bigger and stronger, just like her mother.

"No Mother," she lied. "I will rest later."

Kwanita's eyes narrowed. "Do not lie to me daughter, you're shaking like a leaf in the wind."

Oh great spirits...

"Go rest Migisi," she ordered. "The younger children are already resting, and so is your brother. You should go join them. We will wake you when it's time to eat."

"Mother?" Migisi questioned.

"Do not worry daughter, we will rest as well, but not right away. The camp still needs to be set up, a fire must be made, and food will be served. I will be with you soon, now go rest. You have worked hard today, it's a rest you have earned."

Migisi stood there a moment, surprised at what she heard, but upon seeing Kwanita's encouraging smile, she found herself walking towards the young children and her brother, all of whom were already asleep. Suddenly ready to collapse, Migisi was quick to go by Honan's side and even crawl under his arm before she finally succumbed to the world of slumber.

It felt like seconds later when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Groaning, Migisi blearily looked up into Kwanita's face, who was also in the process of waking up Honan.

"It is time to eat my children," she whispered. "Come, you must not miss this."

Migisi blinked once, twice, and finally sat up, trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Honan groaned next to her as he also came from the land of dreams, and she tiredly looked at him, finding him wiping his own eyes as his lavender eyes looked into her own.

He smiled tiredly. "Have you slept well Migisi?" he asked.

Migisi returned that smile and nodded. "I have brother, have you?"

"I have."

They stood up, stretching their aching muscles, though Migisi winced at the discomfort in her body, making it hard for her to move her arms and legs the way she usually would. However, after the other children got up and were walking with their mothers to the burning campfire, she found herself following Honan and Kwanita, where the other men and women were gathered, waiting patiently for their portion of food.

The fire was big, almost looking like it was dancing to its own tune. Migisi watched it, all sleep fading from her as she felt its comforting warmth and watched its majestic dance. Then she was lead to the side and urged to sit, where they received a bowl that smelled like buffalo stew.

Everyone waited until everyone had a bowl, and once the last person had a bowl, they held their bowls to the sky and began to pray.

"Oh great Ereth'e, please accept our humble offerings and bring us comfort and safety this night, for your love and kindness has granted us the strength to travel these dangerous lands as we seek a new land. Thank you for your guidance, and protect us this night as we sleep and eat tonight."

The prayer over, everyone was allowed to eat, and Migisi blew into the bowl to ease the heat before she took a delicate sip. The heat greeted her first, but it was quick to disappear and leave behind a savory taste on her tongue, warming her even after she swallowed it. She then moved to take another sip until she found herself looking at the fire again.

Strange, was that woman always there?

She was tall, taller than any woman that Migisi had known, except for one. Her long hair and skirt glided gently with what little wind there was, and she seemed to be facing Migisi. She couldn't tell because the woman was nothing more but a silhouette, but Migisi was sure she knew that woman anywhere.

She was about to open her mouth to call out to her, but when she blinked, the woman was gone.

Kwanita lightly touched her shoulder, and Migisi turned. "You saw her too?" Her smile was sad.

Migisi blinked. "Y-Yes?"

Kwanita paused before she looked into the fire, her sad smile still present. "She's saying something to us, and it isn't good."

"Mother?"

But Kwanita was silent for the rest of the night, even after they returned to bed, and that time, going to sleep was much harder for Migisi.


	24. The Maneater

They traveled on for many days now, and by now the load had become easier for Migisi to carry, though she was not sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Many nights after they would stop to make camp, Migisi could always collapse into sleep afterwards with the other children and Honan, and being woken up so they could eat before going back to sleep again. That had become her routine since they began this journey, but now that her load had gotten lighter for her, she had a much harder time going into the land of dreams.

Migisi was scared, especially since Kwanita's words continued to echo through her mind, even after all these days of travel.

What did she mean? Was that woman really Gaia, and if so, why would she be there at the campfire that night? Migisi doubted that it was because of the people's prayer and offering, as she never appeared by the campfire after that when the people made their offerings before eating, nor did she see her in her dreams.

She found herself thinking over King Iamar's words, words she heard that felt so long ago now. What did they mean? Was something happening in the spirit world? Or was it this one? Migisi didn't know which one was worse.

Now, they stopped again for the night, and as soon as everyone had finished their meals, they had been ordered to hurry into their tepees for protection from the cold. Migisi was all too happy to comply, and she, Honan, and Kwanita were quick to get inside the tepee in order to get out of the ruthless weather.

It had been painfully cold these last few days, and even with all the hives she wore, Migisi still felt the painful chill as if she weren't. The tepee, with its blaring fire and the sleeping mats set up, instantly warmed Migisi up, but inside she still felt cold, and even with how warm she was growing, she still shivered.

Honan was also shivering, and his eyes were darting to the entrance of the tepee and back to the fire. Kwanita, while she kept still, had a look to her that frightened Migisi. Her eyes were hard and as sharp as an arrowhead, her posture was screaming for battle, and her lips were pursed so tightly that Migisi thought they disappeared into her face.

Suddenly she felt scared.

"Mother?" she asked hesitantly, and when Kwanita's eyes moved to her, the steel didn't vanish from them. "What's happening?"

Kwanita didn't reply at first, though her eyes moved back to the entrance. "They are on their way Migisi."

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

Honan also looked at their mother with worried confusion, and still Kwanita kept her eyes straight ahead as she continued.

"Do not speak of them my children, or they will take you away to their liar. Tonight is the night they come out."

"Mother, what--"

"Go to sleep my children. We'll be safe as long as the fires roar. I will keep watch, you just rest. We are going to be in here for two sunrises."

Migisi and Honan stared at their mother in bewilderment, but they moved to their sleeping mats and laid down, watching as the fire and shadows danced together on the tepee walls. Kwanita's shadow was among them, and although the shadow itself moved, Migisi never saw her mother herself move.

Outside, the medicine men seemed to be hard at work, creating something in the ground, their hives flapping in the wind. Migisi watched out of the corner of her eye as they finally finished up and chanted something, the symbols of whatever they made glowing brightly for a split second before they walked towards their own shelters.

The concern prevented her from sleeping for many minutes. What was happening? What was out there?

~~~

"Hello?"

That was the first thing Migisi heard, waking her from her dreamless slumber. Groaning lightly, Migisi opened her eyes, blinking a few times, the first thing she saw being Honan's sleeping face. The fire was dimmer now, but it still burned, and when Migisi glanced behind her, Kwanita was still in her sitting position, though her eyes were closed.

"Hello, is anyone there? Please, I need help!"

Migisi sat up, confused, and wondered if she should wake Kwanita up. She didn't hear any footsteps from whoever was making that noise outside, but this person sounded afraid and panicked.

Were they hurt? Were they running from something? Who was--

"Please, help me!" The voice took on a shrilling note, and Migisi winced in pain, wondering how her mother had not woken up from that, much less stirred. Honan didn't either, in fact he continued to sleep without any sign of disturbance.

Suddenly Migisi was afraid to walk out and investigate, for now something felt off about that voice. She still heard no footsteps, and the voice suddenly felt sinister, like this person was acting.

Then she finally heard footsteps.

They were small footsteps, taking the lightest steps in the snow, and Migisi froze, wondering who that person was and what they were doing outside. Shaking a little, she moved to wake Kwanita until she looked back outside.

A small shadow of a figure appeared, so small that Migisi immediately recognized was a child. From the way they were walking, she could tell that they were walking towards the voice, probably to help whoever was calling out for help.

Oh no...

Migisi could feel a cold sweat form on her skin, her body start to shake, and for something inside her chest to start pounding against her skin, like it was desperate to escape. She was quick to get out of her brother's embrace and head towards the entrance.

_No, don't go over there, don't go over there!_

She quickly exited the tepee, indeed seeing a child heading out of the camp. She hurried after them.

"What are you doing?!" she called out, causing the child to freeze. They spun around to face her, fear on their face, but they didn't move when Migisi reached them. "Where are you going?!"

The child pointed out of camp. "Mama, need help."

Mama?

"Where's your mother child?" asked Migisi. "I will take you to her."

But the child shook his head, his expression angry. "Mama, need help!"

**"HELP ME!!"**

The sudden cry caused Migisi to jump, and she looked out into the dark horizon, which was blurry from how much snow there was. Faintly, she thought she saw a figure, which made her freeze in horror.

What...

_What is that thing?_

"Mama!" the child cried, rushing out of camp and towards the creature, bringing Migisi from her thoughts. She cried out when she saw the creature begin to move towards him, its movement unlike a human's.

"Child, no!" she cried, rushing after him until she too was out of the camp. The snow was stinging her face and burning her eyes, but she kept going after the child, her longer legs managing to catch up to him and take him into her arms.

"Child, that is not your mother!" she was screaming over the wind as the child struggled against her in his attempts to escape from her hold.

"No! Mama! Mama!" he cried, reaching out towards the creature, which proceeded to get closer to them until finally it was within sight.

The first thing that greeted Migisi was the smell. It struck her nose so strongly that she would've collapsed to the ground and dropped the child right then and there if she hadn't been so horrified at the sight of the creature.

It was big, bigger than Kwanita, its skin was sunken into itself and a horrible brownish color, and its face...oh spirits.

Its eyes were red, horns protruding from its head. Its mouth resembled a deer's, but as it opened it, sharp bloodstained teeth greeted her. Migisi stared at it, eyes wide with horror, and then the creature screamed, a human-like scream that immediately got her to react.

She took off running, the now silent child limp in her hold. As soon as she started running, the creature screamed again and started chasing after her, its large paws creating a sound that sent more fear through her. She ran as fast as her feet would allow, but no matter how much she ran, she couldn't get away, and the creature seemed to be getting closer and closer to her.

Tears were burning Migisi's eyes at this point, and the child was now sobbing against her shoulder for a whole new reason altogether. Migisi slapped the child's back, hissing for him to silence himself, but he continued to cry.

Then, Migisi cried out as she tripped, causing her and the child to roll over the snowy ground and hit a tree. Crying out in pain, Migisi's grip on the child loosened, but he still clung to her tightly, crying loudly. Something warm started to spread across her back, and Migisi knew that when she saw red stain the snow that it was her blood.

Finally, she saw red eyes, and the salivating mouth of the creature as it finally caught up to them. Migisi felt her fear return, but found herself unable to regain her footing.

Oh spirits, she's lost too much blood. In this case, they'll--

The creature screamed again in victory, and Migisi felt the child cry much harder against her chest, crying for his father and mother, and she thought she heard him screaming for her to get up, but she wasn't sure.

Then the creature reached for them.

Migisi barely felt herself being lifted, but she did feel an excruciating pain torch her body as she was moved, and she suddenly felt sick. The child was screaming more now, and she saw him struggle against the creature, once more calling out for someone, anyone to help them, that he was sorry he wandered out of the camp, and that he'll be good. Migisi's eyes stung as he heard his words.

Her vision was starting to go black now. Was this it? Was this how she was going to die? W...What about Kwanita? What about Honan? How were they going to take this?

Finally, Migisi saw the creature start to pull the child towards its mouth, which was open so wide now that she could see its sharp bloody teeth. The child began to struggle when he realized the creature's intent, his cries for help becoming more intense.

No...

Don't you dare...

Don't you dare hurt him.

"Don't you...dare..." Migisi growled, and suddenly her body felt hot, hotter than a fire, and something began to stain her body and drip down her face, arms, and legs, while her eyes suddenly felt strange. But she paid no attention to it as she glared at the creature, all weariness fading from her.

"Let. Us. GO!" Migisi screamed, and as suddenly as she said those words, the creature burst into flame.

Its screams echoed throughout the land, and it dropped her and the child, the snow cushioning their fall. Migisi cried out in pain, which returned to her in full, and her vision went black for a moment.

It was a welcome relief.

~~~

The first thing she heard as she regained consciousness were the child's cries, then she felt him clinging to her, screaming for her to wake up, to not go to sleep, all while the smell of rotting flesh assaulted her nose. Migisi found herself unable to answer him, despite how much she wished to comfort him, and felt her consciousness fading away.

She smiled weakly. At least...she managed to save the boy.

Before all senses faded from her, Migisi heard someone, two people, a woman and a boy, screaming out her name, and enraged cries of a group of people joining them.


	25. Awake

The first thing greeted her was the chanting.

Migisi sighed at the discomfort she was feeling, and then groaned when it turned to pain. The chanting got louder, and it took her a moment to hear the sound of something being moved over her.

What in the name of the spirit world?

What was happening above her?

Her eyelids were heavy, heavier than she had known them, but Migisi forced them to move. It was a difficult task, but she succeeded in opening her eyes, the first thing that greeted her being the warm light of a fire. Confused, she stared up into the top of the tepee, and then saw the hands.

Wait. What happened? Why was she hurting so much?

Then it all came back, and Migisi gasped, causing her to arch her back and for the pain to increase. With a cry, she fell back onto the mat, tears pricking her eyes as she felt arrows ruthlessly insert themselves into her body.

The chanting stopped, and someone approached her, kneeling by her side. Then came the big hands, hands she knew very well.

"Are you awake Migisi?"

The pain was bearable at this point, and Migisi opened her eyes to look into her mother's face, a face that shined with tears and eyes that looked red and puffy. Suddenly guilt struck her, and the tears increased.

"Mother, I..."

But Kwanita interrupted Migisi by gently taking her into her arms and embracing her as tightly as she could without disturbing her wounds. "Oh thank the spirits you're alright. Thank the spirits, thank the spirits..."

Through her blurry vision and the comfort of her mother's embrace, Migisi took in the rest of her surroundings. The tepee she was in was large, but she immediately recognized it as the one where the most important people of the Na'i would reside, such as the medicine men. Speaking of the medicine men, she recognized them behind her, looking upon her and Kwanita with calm, tired, yet relieved expressions.

Migisi glanced to Kwanita. "Mother, w-what happened? Where are we?"

Kwanita pulled away slightly to look at her. "You are in the Ela-tame, the medicine men's quarters. We brought you here to treat your wounds, and the little one who was with you."

Oh spirits, the boy! "I-Is he--"

"He's alright, though at the moment he is being scolded for wandering off when he should have known better." Kwanita then glared at Migisi lightly. "I told you not to wander off Migisi, and you almost got yourself killed! Do you know how scared your brother and I were when we saw you were gone?"

Migisi winced before trying to look at anything other than Kwanita. "I-I know Mother, b-but that child was wandering off. I...I couldn't let him get killed like that."

Kwanita's expression didn't soften. "And I understand that Migisi, but you should've woken me up. It's dangerous for children to be out during this time!"

"But--"

"Do you understand Migisi?" Kwanita stared hard at her, and Migisi suddenly felt like she was on fire again, a fire that left behind a humiliation that the pain she was feeling couldn't hope to compare to.

She looked down in shame. "I...I'm sorry Mother, i-it won't happen again."

Kwanita didn't reply at first, but after a moment, Migisi felt fingers lightly touch her chin, propelling her to look upwards into the older woman's softer expression.

"But I'm proud of you too Migisi. You managed to save that boy's life, and now we know that he won't ever do that again, especially after what almost happened to you."

Migisi frowned. "What was that thing Mother? It was imitating a woman's voice."

Kwanita shared a look with the medicine men before looking back to her daughter. "It was a Wendigo," she said.

"Wendigo?"

"Yes, the Wendigo were once human my child, but after they ate the flesh of their tribe to stay alive during a harsh winter, they turned into creatures who are punished to spend the rest of eternity starving, with anything they eat only making them hungry for more. They hunt the humans they once were, their morals lacking, and any familiarity they have had towards the humans they loved gone. They have become the prey now."

Migisi shivered, suddenly remembering the horrible scent the creature gave off. She had never seen it in all her years of existence, but she had been told that when a human dies, their bodies slowly rot until only their skeleton remains, and the smell it would give off as it collapsed into itself was horrible. She suddenly wondered if the creature's body was rotting, and it made her want to throw up.

Just then, one of the medicine men stepped up. "Holy One, we must continue the ceremony," he said. "If we do not, then evil spirits will infect the child and surely kill her."

Kwanita looked at the man before nodding and carefully placing her daughter back on the cot and stepping away. "Continue on then," she said. "Do what you must, and please relax Migisi, you will make your injuries worse if you do not relax."

Migisi tried her best to relax, listening to the medicine men continue their chant and the moving shadows in response to the fire nearby. The sight made her almost cry again.

She was safe, the child was safe. They weren't dead.


	26. Guilt

When Migisi woke next, there was no chanting, nothing but the sounds of the night, the wind, and the sound of someone breathing slowly next to her.

Wait, what?

Migisi looked to her side, her eyes taking moments to adjust to the darkness before she spotted him. Granted, the boy was resting his he head on the buffalo hide she was bundled in, his small hand grasping her even smaller one while his head rested next to hers.

Migisi recognized that hair anywhere.

She blinked once, twice, before she attempted to speak. "Ho...nan...?"

The boy flinched, and almost faster than anyone she knew, he sat up, looking upon Migisi with wide, almost otherworldly, eyes. He stared at her for multiple moments, before Migisi felt her brother trace her face gently, as if wondering if she were real.

Once he seemed sure that she was awake, Honan's eyes softened, a smile appeared on his face, and he did not hesitate to gently pull her into an embrace.

"Oh thank the spirits," whispered her brother. "You're awake, I thought you would never awaken. Thank the spirits, thank the spirits..."

Migisi continued to link, and suddenly she felt something wet on her shoulder, causing her to wince slightly at the burn it left behind. Or was it her wounds?

How long had she been asleep? It was night, of that Migisi could tell, but how long had she been asleep?

From the way the snow was blowing outside the Ela-tame, Migisi wondered if it was still nighttime or if a day had passed. While she was not familiar with the work of the medicine men or those who came to see them, she knew that with these kinds of injuries, she would have been unconscious for a long time, often longer than a day.

But before Migisi could come to any kind of conclusion, Honan pulled away from her, his teary eyes now scrunched up in anger.

"What were you thinking?!" he whispered harshly. "Do you know how worried I was when I saw you weren't in the tepee? I thought..." He inhaled harshly. "I thought you died Migisi!"

Migisi stared at her brother with wide eyes, but was unable to say anything when he continued on.

"You were lucky that Mother and the villagers got to you in time, otherwise you would have been claimed by the spirits!" Tears began to fall on Migisi's face as Honan continued to glare down at her. "Do you know how scared I was when I saw your broken and bleeding body in Mother's arms?! When I was told that you had been attacked by a Wendigo?!"

"I..."

"I was so scared Migisi! I thought you were not going to live until sunrise! The medicine men and Mother would not allow me to come inside as they tried to heal you, and I was left to wonder if you would survive! How dare you scare me like that! How dare you...How...how...dare..."

Migisi continued to watch with wide eyes as her brother finally broke down once more, unable to say or do anything to calm his distress. All she could do was stare, unable to speak, as Honan finally lowered himself back onto the buffalo hive, sobbing into her shirt. Even when she felt the tears soak her shirt and parts of her exposed skin, she couldn't move. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't try moving her arm, but the pain stilled her.

How miserable. She almost got herself and a child killed, she had distressed her mother, and now she couldn't even comfort her own distressed brother. How pathetic.

Eventually, Migisi forced herself to speak.

"I'm...sorry..." she wheezed.

Honan looked up at her, his eyes now red and puffy, and his cheeks stained with tears. This time there was no anger present, only exhaustion, and suddenly Honan looked older than ever. He looked...mature, as handsome as the village men, and so strong, but Migisi wasn't sure if that was a good thing or otherwise.

Either way, Honan was not supposed to have that look, not now, and not here. Migisi felt guilty all over again.

This was all her fault.

None of this would have happened if she had stayed put, if she had prevented the child from exiting the circle. She should have listened to Kwanita's warnings to stay put, to not leave the tepee, but she did not listen.

She didn't listen.

She almost died.

A child almost died.

She was almost eaten alive.

A child was almost eaten alive.

_They almost were killed and eaten alive by the very thing Kwanita warned Migisi about._

She had made her mother and brother worry, more so than she should have.

What an ungrateful child she was.

Honan inhaled a shaky breath. "Please..." he whispered. "Don't you ever put yourself in danger again Migisi. I don't want to lose my baby brother, I do not want to be reminded of the fact that I cannot protect you from these things. Please, don't ever do that to me again."

Migisi could feel her own eyes fill with tears, and with a shaky breath of her own, nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

Honan didn't reply for several long moments, but then he smiled lightly and took her hand. "I'm just so glad you're alright Migisi. I'm so glad."

Migisi shakily smiled back, but even when her brother returned to the world of slumber, she started to wonder.

What would this mean for her now?


	27. Action

Hm, what an interesting turn of events.

The Sun King looked upon his all-seeing globe, watching the two children interact. While they were speaking audibly however, Cyrus was paying no mind to it.

The girl was reckless, he will admit. Kwanita was going to have to correct that soon before her daughter did something that could get her killed, and no one could afford to lose the potential the girl had.

Especially an offspring of Kwanita.

Still, Cyrus supposed that this was to be expected. Despite her age, Migisi was still a child in physical age, so it was only natural that her powers would be at this stage. Still, that did not excuse why Kwanita's sons did not awaken their mother's powers.

What was so special about her daughter?

Cyrus knew he and Iamar had to keep a close eye on her. If left unsupervised, Migisi's powers would eventually corrupt her and she would go mad with power, destroying everyone and everything she touched, including her family. Cyrus remembered dealing with those kinds of humans so many times, so much that he lost count, and immediately he felt exhaustion creeping into him.

He knew that Kwanita's daughter was a mature child, who truly valued her family and their values, but so did those humans, and that did not stop their uncontrolled powers from corrupting them.

"Your Majesty?" called a familiar voice next to him.

Cyrus looked up, seeing a familiar man standing next to his throne. Antiman had been his personal advisor for as long as he existed, and he was a man who took his job very seriously. He was also a tall spirit, not as tall as Cyrus of course, but tall enough to tower over most lower-ranking spirits and mortals. However, like many high-ranked sun spirits, he possessed tan skin, flame-like red, orange, and yellow hair, and glowing red eyes that pulsed like a human heartbeat.

Cyrus turned off the seeing crystal. "Yes Antiman?"

"The King of the Moon is here," replied his advisor.

Well, it took him long enough.

"Is he outside?" asked Cyrus.

"Yes."

"Let him in."

Antiman snapped his fingers, and the doors to the throne room were opened by the guards, allowing a man with silver skin, messy black hair, the matching silver eyes, and armor that ranged from silver, blue, white, and black walked in. At the moment, no smile was on his face, but when his eyes looked up to his fiery counterpart, he smiled.

"Hello Cyrus," greeted Iamar.

Cyrus nodded in greeting. "Greetings Iamar." He then waved towards Antiman and the guards. "Leave us."

Antiman and the guards bowed and were quick to leave the throne room, closing the doors behind them. Once they were gone, Cyrus snapped his fingers, and an additional throne appeared next to his, the opposite of his throne of flames. This throne was made of pure white rock, which sparkled brightly in multiple directions. And in between both thrones was a table, containing two empty cups and an elegant bottle.

"Can I offer you something to drink Iamar?" asked Cyrus.

"I would appreciate it." Iamar sat on his throne, watching with a smile as Cyrus snapped his fingers and the bottle poured the white delicacy into the empty cups. Once they were finished, Cyrus picked up his cup while Iamar with his, and they toasted each other before taking sips of their drinks.

Cyrus was the first to speak. "You saw, have you not?"

Iamar nodded. "I have." His smile was gone at this point, and he stared at the area where the all-seeing crystal had been. "Her powers are growing stronger day by day, and it's only thanks to her powerful spirit that she was able to conjure up the lighter side of it, allowing her to defeat the Wendigo."

Cyrus looked at him. "Do not tell me you are growing concerned for the girl Iamar."

Iamar chuckled. "Of course not. She may be Kwanita's daughter, but she still presents a threat."

"Yes," said Cyrus grimly. "Not even Kwanita showed such skill when she was a young nation. This concerns me; she has no father more powerful than her mother, though Gaia did breathe life into her and her brothers just as she had with every nation on Earth, but I doubt that she had gifted her with such powerful abilities."

"You understand how secretive Gaia is," said Iamar.

Cyrus lightly glared at his counterpart. "I'm aware of that," he said, "but are you suggesting that we speak to her about this? Surely she also understands the danger the girl's powers present to her and the people around her."

"You forget my friend," began Iamar, "Kwanita had no one to turn to when her powers were developing. Not only that, but when they awakened, they still were as powerful as her daughter's. Gaia was there to assist her with her training to control them, and Kwanita was a child eager to learn how to control them so she could protect her people. She will be able to help her daughter learn to control her powers before she becomes an adult."

Cyrus didn't reply to that. Instead he turned to his cup, momentarily looking into his reflection before he took another delicate yet graceful sip, allowing the sweetness of the drink to distract his thoughts.

"But you're worried about something else, are you not?" Iamar then asked.

Cyrus nodded. "I'm sure you have noticed it as well," he said. "Something is wrong, or rather, is about to go wrong, and it is in the form of Gaia's other creations."

Iamar's grim look said it all. "Ah yes, the greedy ones." He chuckled bitterly. "It truly makes me wonder why Gaia did not think it would be a good idea to wipe them out of existence."

"Unfortunately we do not get to decide what becomes of them," said Cyrus, also in a bitter tone. "The only thing we can do is wait and see, but you know we cannot interfere with the living, not even Gaia, and even if they are of Gaia's creation."

Iamar lowered his head. "Does she know?"

"I believe she may have a good idea, but does not understand just yet," said Cyrus. "Of course, I know that Kwanita will think of her children first and foremost, as well as how she could best protect them from what's going to happen. But now, I fear the girl will need the most protection out of all of Kwanita's children."

"Is it because of what I think it is?" Upon Cyrus' nod, Iamar's frown deepened. "I pray that we are making the right decision Cyrus, otherwise we have a disaster of our own making on our hands, especially for Gaia."

"As with I my friend, but for now, all we can do is wait and see, and hope. After all, Gaia will not allow us to interfere with the lives of the mortal realm even if we wanted to, you know this as well as I."

Iamar nodded, and the two Kings sat on their thrones quietly, sipping at their drinks as they thought over the next best course of action.


	28. New Home

It had been weeks later when Migisi was allowed to walk again.

She had been spending many days confined to a hive, though the tribe had returned to continuing the way to their destination. As Migisi was not allowed to walk, she would spend the journey being strapped to a horse or on Kwanita's back, wrapped all around with blankets and bandages.

The medicine men would routinely perform rituals on her and change her bandages during them, burning the bloody bandages before replacing them with clean ones.

"It will destroy the evil spirits," said Kwanita. "With them gone, your wounds will heal, and if not, they will remain and become worse."

Migisi thought it was just as well, for she was too tired to move on her own anyway.

It had always been a struggle to stay awake after she first woke up that horrid night, though Migisi was pleased to learn that her wounds were healing quite well, so her energy was slowly but surely returning to her. Of course, she still needed all the rest she could get, the medicine men ordered it, so Migisi spent the majority of the journey sleeping.

Of course, it was not easy, especially after she met the father and mother of the child she had saved. They thanked her profusely, but were still angry with their son for ignoring their warnings of the danger that harsh winter night, though they did not scold him as harshly as Kwanita said they did that night.

As for the child, he had a guilty look on his face for many days, and whenever Migisi was awake, would not stop apologizing to her. She ended up having to order him to stop his apologies, for he learned his lesson, and now both he and his mother and father knew he would never do that again.

Migisi had returned to sleep after hearing this, a smile remaining on her face.

But now her exhaustion was almost gone at this point, and her wounds were almost completely healed to the point that she was wearing less bandages than before, though the medicine men still performed rituals, only this time to chase away any spirits of bad luck.

Though while her strength returned to her, Migisi still had to be confined to a horse until the medicine men were sure that she would be able to walk with the rest of the tribe.

"How long will that be?" she had asked Kwanita, who had been walking alongside her horse, perfectly matching his pace while Honan was walking alongside her.

"It should not be too long," answered her mother. "You must have patience my son, the injuries that you suffered were serious after all."

Migisi slumped. "I understand Mother, it's just..."

Kwanita smiled. "I know you want to help Migisi, but you can first help by letting your wounds heal and following the medicine men's orders to not strain yourself."

Seeing her mother's reasoning, all Migisi could do at that point was slowly nod and say, "Yes Mother."

Migisi knew she didn't really have any right to complain, especially since she knew she would only worry her mother and brother even more if she did try to help them.

Not to mention the medicine men would not be too happy with her either.

It was never wise to go against the word of a medicine man, much less more than one, and Migisi really did not want to be seen as a possessed child, nor did she want to change the way her new tribe saw her and Honan.

Now, night had fallen, and Migisi had watched as the sun dispersed over the horizon, turning the sky many different colors, each matching flowers and even plants. It was a beautiful sight, and as the stars began to appear, Migisi suddenly felt sad.

There went another day, soon to be lost and never relived.

Migisi sometimes wondered why the people never bothered attempting to honor each day that they lived, but supposed she was being hypocritical.

_For I have done the same thing myself, _she thought.

And it was that night that Kwanita reached up on the horse and grabbed her daughter, and instead of placing her on the ground, she set her on her feet.

Migisi blinked up at her. "Mother?" she called, confused.

Kwanita smiled down at her. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

Kwanita's smile widened. "Why, you are going to help set up the camp of course!"

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

Migisi and Honan looked at each other in surprise before turning back to their mother, who continued to smile at her children, even giggling at the sight of their confused faces.

"The medicine men have agreed," began the older woman, "your wounds are cleansed enough to return to work, saying you need to move so the scarring won't become stuck."

"Stuck?" Migisi suddenly felt ill all over again, and she was sure Honan was in the same predicament.

Seeing her daughter's reaction, Kwanita's smile became reassuring. "We just need to be sure that you will be able to move better with time my son. It's to further help with the cleansing process."

Despite still feeling sick, Migisi nodded. "Oh, of course. So, what do you want me to do Mother?"

She would spend the next part of the night helping to set up camp, work of which she was more than happy to return to.

She could finally be of use again, she could finally move again.

She could—

Kwanita smiled at her while they were working, and Migisi stared back, confused once more.

"We are finally here daughter," she whispered, so low that only she could hear. "Welcome to your new home."

Stunned, Migisi looked around, taking in the lands surrounding them as well as the dark sky full of many bright dots above, and smiled back at her mother.

It was beautiful.

They were finally here.

Their journey was finally over.

Migisi was sure nothing could have made her work faster.


	29. Cleansing

The work left her sore, but Migisi could not have been anymore happy.

They had not finished setting up their camp for the summer months, and if it was anything like when they packed up for this journey, then it would take a full five days before they would be done. Still, Migisi was relieved that their journey was finally over, and she could now focus solely on helping set up their camp for the summer and allowing her body to continue its cleansing.

The people allowed her to work with them, but had her take multiple breaks to not stress her body. Of course, Migisi wasn't happy with that arrangement, but never complained.

Just being allowed to help instead of watching was better than nothing.

Now, today was soon to be over, and everyone was to retire in order to rise before the sun rose to continue the work. At this, one of the medicine men approached her, a firm look on his face.

"But not you," he ordered. "You still stink of bad luck."

Migisi had blinked in surprise, but otherwise forced her questions back. "Y-Yes Elder."

Satisfied at her answer, the medicine man turned to Kwanita and Honan. "Holy One, Prince, you are to sleep in a separate tepee for the night until the boy is free of any bad spirits. He will be expected to continue working when the sun reaches its peak the next day, but other than that, he is to not leave the tepee until ordered by myself or another man of the spirit world."

Honan had looked at the medicine man, his eyes wide, and he had been about to protest when Kwanita slapped him in the back of the head, silencing him. "Yes Elder," she replied evenly.

Migisi's mother had spared her daughter one look in her direction before walking towards her selected tepee, all while Migisi was guided by the medicine man to another tepee, which had been surrounded on all sides by runes, while four small fires burned on the north, east, west, and south sides of it.

Faint at first, but getting stronger the closer they got, Migisi was able to smell certain flowers and herbs bring burned, ranging from rosemary, to roses, and even to weeds.

The medicine man opened the tepee, chanting something under his breath all the while, and ushered her inside. The inside looked like any other tepee she had been in, though there were markings on the skinned hive in a language she could barely understand. There also was a blue fire burning in the center, and Migisi stared at it, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

"The fire will burn until you close your eyes young one," said the medicine man. "It burns like the sky to show that this place is pure, but now you have entered it." He then gestured to the fire again, and Migisi looked back.

She gasped.

The blue fire, once so bright and beautiful, had now turned into a green that looked disgusting to the touch, and suddenly Migisi felt a little weak and tired. She once more turned to the medicine man.

"It will help cleanse you," he clarified. "It will also keep any bad spirits at bay until then."

He then ushered Migisi to the center of the room next to the fire, where she began to feel sicker and more tired. The medicine men gave her a buffalo hive before turning to the entrance of the tepee, only turning back to her to say,

"Make sure that you stay above the buffalo hive child," he ordered gently. "That will allow the cleansing to progress faster. Also, make sure you stay in this room until either I or one of my kin come to retrieve you, and do not, under any means, leave this tepee. Do you understand?"

Migisi tiredly nodded. "Yes Elder."

With a final nod, the medicine man walked out of the tepee, securely closing it behind him and leaving Migisi alone with the strange fire.

Now alone, Migisi wondered if she even was going to make it through the night and the first part of the next day. Either way, too tired to even worry about that, Migisi laid down on the buffalo hive and stared briefly at the fire.

She hated that color, but strangely it was not so bad that she wanted to be away from it.

She trusted the medicine man's words, and deep down knew she was going to be safe from anything that might lurk in the night.

She just prayed that would involve anything than that monster, and somehow wondered if that would also keep anyone else at bay.

Where did that thought even emerge from?

Either way, without any other distraction, Migisi was quick to fall asleep despite the bad feelings that overwhelmed her.


	30. Trapped

When Migisi opened her eyes, she was outside the tepee.

She blinked one time, two times, and finally three times before she remembered where she was. Wait, was she supposed in the tepee--

Oh, hold on.

Migisi looked down at herself, finding herself see-through and...phasing through the tepee walls? For a moment she giggled, wondering what she might look like to people if this happened, but then supposed that would cause a panic among the people, the last thing she wanted to see.

And from the fact that no one near her was panicking, Migisi knew she was back in the spirit realm.

But what was she doing here?

Why did she wake up in this position?

She needed to get back inside.

Migisi placed both hands onto the tepee and prepared to push herself back inside it. She shouldn't be out of there at this time she felt, and while she did not understand where the thought came from, she was not willing to test it out. So Migisi pushed...

...w...

...what?

Nothing happened.

What in the name of the spirits?

Migisi tried again, only more forceful, but only got the same result. She slumped, confused and scared.

She looked around, taking in the dark night, the still yet pure white snow, and the silence of the now empty unfinished camp. There were many tepees set up, yet there were others that were still lying about, along with tools and other untouched supplies. The animals had taken their own shelter, though from the lack of the sight of the dogs, Migisi assumed they had gone inside the tepees with other people to escape the cold night. Of course, the horses had no such issue, and they were peacefully resting out in the cold, oblivious to the world.

Migisi envied them at the moment.

"Mother Gaia?" she called, once more attempting to go back into her own tepee. "Are you with me?"

She got no reply.

"King Cyrus? King Iamar? Holy Ones? Are you with me?" she then called.

Silence answered her.

"Anyone? Mother? Can you hear me?"

Still no answer.

Migisi shivered as her form began to feel cold, a cold that the winter did not cause, but rather what was happening around her. She had looked down at one moment, seeing that the symbols that surrounded her tepee were glowing a dim yet sinister green, and that was when she saw them.

They were barely formed, in fact Migisi could see right through them to see the night and her unfinished home camp, but she saw them. They were as dark as the night sky and even had the shape of fellow humans, but their glowing red eyes immediately told Migisi otherwise.

So she could only stare, dumbfounded, as they stared back.

"Go away..." she weakly ordered, trying to push herself back into the tepee and to the safety of the still burning fire that her body slept near.

They continued to stare, before lifting a hand simultaneously to point at her.

"Begone," she ordered, still weakly. "I have nothing to offer you. Leave me be."

They continued to point at her, and it was at that moment that Migisi felt herself being dragged out even further from the tepee.

She grasped onto the hive, somehow keeping herself from being dragged out even further. "Leave me be!" she hissed.

The force on her continued to grow stronger and stronger, and Migisi felt herself having a hard time holding onto the hive, especially with how slowly her fingers were coming loose.

Migisi stared at her hands in fear; While the medicine man did not say this, she could not leave the tepee, not even in spirit form. The spirit was one of the many things that kept humans within the realm of the living, and if it was corrupted...

_"What's happens Mother?" asked Honan curiously. They were attending a ritual of the people of their birth tribe, and being the Holy One and her children, they were not allowed to participate in the activities, not that Migisi or even Honan would be able to as they were still very young children._

_Kwanita had a grim expression on her face, and she did not look at either of her children as she replied. "Corrupted souls will become evil spirits, and evil spirits are unable to move on to the afterworld. It is a fate they cannot escape from unless a human of strong and spiritual power were to cleanse them, but sadly those humans are very rare and often cannot help those trapped spirits."_

_Migisi felt cold as Honan asked the one question she did not want answered. "Can...can we get infected too Mother?"_

_Kwanita did not answer at first, but when she did, her voice was dark and sad all at once. "Yes my son, especially you and your brother."_

Oh great spirits...

Migisi couldn't stop. She did not want her soul to be corrupted, she did not want to suffer that kind of horrible fate. She did not want to have to wander like that, causing harm, and having no rest.

She was pulled even further from the tepee, despite her attempts to hold on.

"Mother..." she wheezed. "Help me, please..."

She needed to get back inside. She needed to get back to her body before she was forced out of it and the symbols surrounding it. She will not become corrupted.

_Come on Migisi, _she thought to herself. _Focus, you can do this, you can do this, just be strong and work...hard...!_

Migisi attempted to hold on to the tepee, or rather keep her fingers connected to it until she found some way to tighten her grip.

But then her fingers slipped, and in that moment, Migisi swore that time went slow for her.

She opened her mouth to scream, feeling her body go flying towards the shadow creatures and tears sting her eyes, but they did not fall.

Then she collided with something hard.

"Ugh!" she groaned in pain, feeling pain fly through her and a bright light temporarily blind her. She continued to feel a pressure pulling at her, causing her to groan in strain even more, but she cracked her eyes open anyway.

The first thing she saw was the blood red light, shining so bright that Migisi had to close her eyes again to spare her eyesight before opening them again, only this time looking downwards.

Her eyes widened. _W-What? _she thought.

The symbols...they were...the light was coming from them.

Migisi stared at them, still groaning at the pressure of being pulled, only to be kept back by whatever wall the symbols brought up.

"M-Mother Gaia?" she called. "Are you there?"

Nothing answered her, but she felt something near her, something that, unlike the shadow creatures behind her, gave her a sense of safety. She knew who it was, but she spoke again.

"Mother Gaia, are you with me?"

Then she heard it.

It was a faint sound, one that Migisi had to focus extra hard to detect. From what she was hearing, the voice was feminine, ancient, and wise, and she immediately recognized it.

"Fight," the voice was saying. "Fight Migisi. You need to return to your body before the sun rises, quickly."

Migisi groaned. "B-But I can't--"

"You can Migisi," the voice urged. "You are stronger than this. Now use that strength."

"W-What--?"

The voice didn't reply anymore, and Migisi no longer felt the warm presence near her. Now all she could feel was the dread and the pressure being applied to her, and she could feel the creatures' frustration behind her, hear their screeches of anger at not easily getting their prize.

Migisi dared to look back, seeing the the shadows have grown closer to her.

The urgency hit her first. She needed to get away from them, and fast.

She took the deepest breath of her life. "Oh great spirits," she prayed. "Grant me strength."

Migisi pushed herself away from the invisible barrier as best she could, the force on her almost forcing her back into it, and she proceeded to take one step in front of the other to get away from the shadow creatures, who were now screeching horrible sounds in rage, and she felt the force on her worsen.

Migisi fell to her knees, but ultimately was not forced backwards.

_Grant me strength,_ she prayed again, placing one hand ahead of her and then a knee, and proceeded to do the same with her other hand and knee, crawling towards the tepee and reaching for the flap.

She gasped when she felt herself being pushed to the ground, and Migisi moaned at the tremendous pressure on her, and she almost could not move, but she began to drag herself towards the now open flap.

_Keep going Migisi,_ she urged herself. _You are almost there. Be strong, you are almost there._

Her hand was halfway through the tepee, and Migisi began to feel herself being coated with protection the more she went inside. She then glanced off to the side, finding the peak of the sky tinted with dark orange.

Oh no, the sun was coming.

The screeches of the creatures became stronger, and Migisi felt something wet drip down her face from her ears. Looking downwards, she saw a red color.

Her ears...

Migisi forced herself to continue onwards, and by now her body was halfway inside the tepee, where she spotted her body sleeping against the still green fire, but a red substance trailed down her face.

Migisi kept going, feeling more safer as her feet began to enter the tepee. By now the screeches of the creatures were almost silent, but where now muffled by the tepee, except she could still hear them and see the sun.

_Close the flap._

Migisi didn't know where the thought came from, but did not dare to question it. She crawled towards the flap, reached out, and almost felt the weight on her again, which allowed her to pull the flap down and engulf her in darkness and the light of the fire.

The screams disappeared by then, and Migisi felt no evil anymore, only safety.

She slumped in relief and felt herself start to cry. She was safe now, she was safe now, she was safe now...

She was safe now...


	31. Safety

She woke up with a gasp.

Migisi immediately shot up and looked around, the first thing she saw being the green fire, but unlike last night, this fire was a beautiful, calming green, and the wood didn't even appear like it was even being burnt. Still breathing hard however, she continued looking around, searching for the creatures who attempted to steal her soul.

But she was alone.

Migisi sat there, wondering if what she was seeing was real or fake. Then, slowly, she trailed her hands over herself, feeling soft but solid flesh, felt her soft hair, and could feel how exhausted she felt. Finally she looked down at her hands, feeling solid skin that she could not see through.

She could've cried in relief. She was back. She was safe.

_She was safe._

The tears came forth before she could stop them, and Migisi began to cave onto herself as she began to sob, the green fire being her only companion. Though, from the sound of people working, she knew it was morning.

How she wanted to join them, but the medicine man had not come for her.

The sun must not be at the peak yet.

She was going to be alone for a long while, but Migisi didn't want to be alone at this time.

She wanted her mother.

She wanted Honan.

She wanted Elsu.

She wanted anyone to come get her so she could talk to them about what had happened to her the night before, who those shadow people were, and why she was being forced out of the tent when it was supposed to protect her.

She didn't like this place anymore, not even the fire that burned that beautiful color.

As the people continued to work outside however, Migisi felt herself quietly sobbing and resting her head back on the buffalo hive.

She prayed that no more nightmares would plague her as she returned to the world of slumber.


	32. Involvement

It had been days since she had been released from that tent, and Migisi couldn't have been anymore happier.

She had been woken up from her thankfully dreamless sleep by the medicine man, who had checked her thoroughly and the symbols around the tepee, and from the grim expression on his face Migisi thought that something bad was going to happen.

He then proceeded to ask her many questions.

"Were you dragged out of the tepee?" he asked.

Migisi explained the dream she had, and throughout it all the medicine man listened, his expression still grim until she told him that the symbols kept her close to the tepee and she managed to get back to her body. When she was finished, the medicine man's eyes closed, his expression relaxing.

"The symbols have worked," he mused before he reopened his eyes and looked back at her. "Being the child of the Holy One, evil spirits were attracted to you, which is why you were out of touch with your physical form."

Migisi had blinked in confusion. "Does this not happen to anyone who is cursed?"

"It depends on the person my dear," said the medicine man. "Many often cannot disconnect with their physical forms when they are in the world of dreams, while others only have a portion of such ability. There are, of course, a select few that can access it the way you have done child, but the majority of the time it is uncontrolled, nothing near the ability of your mother."

Migisi nodded, even though she was still a little lost. Either way, she was thankful when the medicine man told her that she was now free of any bad energy, and was allowed to return to her work shortly after.

Still, the words that man said when she was about to step out of the tepee chilled her.

"Be sure to protect yourself daughter of the Holy One," he warned. "I fear that any curses that befall you will not be able to be purged."

Migisi immediately walked out of the tepee to find her mother and brother without another word.

It was probably disrespectful on her part, but Migisi did not care at that moment. Even now the medicine man's words made her body feel cold, and she was wondering what he meant by those last few words.

He knew she was a girl.

Would he tell everyone? Or would he keep it a secret out of fear of Kwanita's anger?

Migisi knew her mother's anger was never a sight to behold, especially after she came to the knowledge of the older woman's hatred of the man who took Elsu. The anger in her eyes could probably rival the wrath of the gods and likely make even the most evil of spirits run in the other direction. Not only that, but Kwanita's normally warm brown eyes would immediately change into a blood red color that glowed eerily, while red liquid would pour out of every opening her body had to offer. Her aura would also turn dark and evil, ready to invoke her wrath onto any unfortunate soul that crossed her.

Migisi loved her mother, but she feared her too.

Those powers of hers...those were the same abilities she had inherited? What about Honan? Had he awakened them? Is that what the Holy Ones meant when she needed to have someone teach her how to control her powers, else she end up like Kwanita would be if angered?

All those question made Migisi's head hurt, and she wasn't sure who to ask either.

Though, Kwanita seemed to notice while they were working, and shortly after, when night fell and everyone was getting ready to retire to their tepees, Kwanita took her daughter aside, guiding her outside of the village and then kneeling to her height once they were a good distance away.

She smiled patiently. "What troubles you daughter?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Migisi stared at her mother, unsure. She wanted to immediately speak, but what kind of question should she ask? Should she ask her mother those personal questions, and would she react negatively? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know, but she did know that only her mother had answers, and she really needed answers.

"Mother," she began. "Did you feel...different when you use your abilities?"

Kwanita blinked before she understood, her gentle expression turning into a frown. "You have noticed, have you not?"

"Eh?"

Kwanita sighed, shifting herself so she was sitting on her knees. "Daughter." She paused to take a deep breath. "Listen to me carefully, as it is very important, and you will need it for many moons."

Migisi stayed silent, looking upon her mother with parted lips and a slight tilt of her head.

Kwanita was looking at the village at this point. "When I was young, around your time, I too was at a loss of what was going to become of me. I had no father, no mother, no brothers or sisters, no one except Mother Gaia. However, when my powers awoke, it was much later in my life, and I was also concerned."

"But were you in the same situation I was in?"

Kwanita didn't answer at first. "Not as young," she said. "It was when I was around the age to be married, though I never would be married to any man, it had already been decided. I had been under attack by many spirits, and I truly thought I would die. I may have lived many years, but I did not want to die in a painful and terrifying way."

Migisi's eyes widened in realization. "Then you...?"

Kwanita nodded. "Yes, that was when I awoke my powers for the first time, and it succeeded in driving away those evil spirits. Of course, I needed someone to teach me on how to use them, as I began to feel them strip away any reasoning I had."

Migisi stared at her mother, feeling her skin grow cold. "Then..."

Kwanita nodded again, sadly. "I'm afraid this might happen to you soon as well daughter, which is why I want Mother Gaia to teach you so you could prevent becoming corrupted, just as Mother Gaia had done for me."

"Can't I just not use them?" she asked.

Kwanita shook her head. "It does not work that way daughter. As soon as one awakens such abilities, it will start to cloud their minds and even their souls until nothing of what they used to be will be left. I almost lost that centuries ago until Mother Gaia saved me, and even then I wonder why I was gifted with such abilities."

Migisi remained silent as her mother continued.

"I truly wish I did not have such abilities Migisi, but it is far too late now. I have grown to accept that these powers are a part of me, and they will continue to be until the day I fade, but now that I have passed them onto my own children, I fear the worst."

"Mother?"

Kwanita turned to Migisi. "You were not supposed to awaken these powers this early daughter, and I fear of what will happen when your brothers awaken their powers too, but now I need to make a plan. I do not want my own children becoming corrupted by their own power."

Migisi said nothing a moment. "Then what are we going to do?"

Kwanita closed her eyes. "I fear that more is to come, but the only thing I can do is prepare you for what will come. Mother Gaia will be able to help you, though I fear I will not be of much help."

"Why?"

"I am a mere mortal, despite how much the people may wish it otherwise. Of course, I will admit I am more than human, I am still a mortal, and so are you and your brothers Migisi. There is only so much we can do, and so much that we cannot do that a god can."

Migisi went back to being silent, unsure of what to say to that. Despite not wanting to believe her, she knew she was right, for while she was more than a normal human being, that did not mean she was not like them. She still bled (especially the same color of blood), she had the same body appearance as any human child, and she could do the same things that other children could (and hopefully would when she outgrew this body).

That meant that she could feel pain, could cry, would have concerns, and others, and when she almost died by that Wendigo's hand, Migisi knew that she was as vulnerable as any of the people of her tribe.

And it scared her.

Migisi then looked back up at her mother. "When?" she asked.

Kwanita looked at her.

"When should we contact Mother Gaia? What about the Holy Ones Cyrus and Iamar? Would they not help us?"

Kwanita's eyes widened at her request, but a sad smile replaced it soon after. "It will not be that simple daughter. Cyrus and Iamar will not interfere with the world of Mother Gaia unless they are involved or Mother Gaia has granted them permission to come. Considering this situation however, I doubt she will let them come, or that this will involve them too much."

"What do you mean?"

Kwanita shook her head before standing up and taking her daughter with her. "We will talk about this another time. Now come daughter, your brother is awaiting us."

Migisi could only stare in bafflement at her mother as the older woman led her back to the village.


	33. The Men We Call Father

This became her new routine throughout the last ten years; work, eat, sleep, train with her mother, move back to the forest once the winter was replaced by spring, and repeat every day. It was something that gave Migisi a sense of purpose, even though she had not grown any bigger.

She would have been four-years-old now physically, and now, more than ever, Migisi wished that she was bigger.

She liked to believe that she was completely human, that her mother and brothers were completely human, for that way she would not have had these powers, this body, or this existence.

She almost wished that death was a constant companion to her too.

During the end of her ten years, she had witnessed death claim another life, the life of a person Migisi looked up to.

The village was solemn, but no one openly mourned. Migisi had taken notice of this, and did her absolute best to not start crying herself, else that would prohibit the dying man's spirit from passing on to the afterlife. So, everyone focused on their work or their hunting, and right now Migisi was with Honan and the other boys and braves in the forest, searching for any potential food. No one spoke a word to each other, not even the siblings, and Migisi was sure that it was killing her as well.

They eventually found a deer, which Honan shot dead while Migisi forced herself to watch. It had never become easier seeing animals die just so they could live, and she immediately prayed to the animal's spirit for forgiveness.

Then, while they were hauling the carcass back, a brave began to walk alongside her. Glancing upwards, Migisi took note of the man's braided dark hair, his rich complexion, his hardened body, and his sharp dark eyes.

And those very eyes looked down at her as well.

Migisi immediately looked away, suddenly ashamed that she had been caught looking at him. Then she almost jumped when he spoke.

"You know of Li'at, do you not?" he asked.

Migisi looked back up at him, her eyes wide in surprise. "I...I do," she said. "He is a close friend of mine."

The brave nodded, looking ahead now. "He is a respected man in our village," he said. "He may not be our chief, but he is one of the best warriors the tribe has had."

Migisi knew this much. From the way the older man was respected, she could tell that he must have done something to achieve such status, as it was not easy. He also made it clear that he had seen much in his long life, something that Migisi prayed she never would have to see, though he never talked about himself much, though that was likely Migisi's fault, for she never really found the time or the energy to speak to him whenever they weren't hunting or feasting with their families.

She barely knew him, and now he was dying.

Her eyes turned downcast, and she watched as her feet took one step in front of the other and repeated the action over and over as they walked back to their village. The brave did not say another word for a little while, but he did.

"Is he your father?" he asked.

Migisi jumped. "Wh--n-no, he is not."

The brave raised an eyebrow at her. "You are close to him, and he taught you many things. Is he not your father?"

Migisi wanted to answer, but she wasn't sure what to say. She knew what a father was, she would have to be stupid not to, but there were so many kinds of fathers. A father who created one, and the father who taught one all they needed to know so they could pass it onto the next child. It was something that Migisi knew was important in this tribe.

She had no birth father, she knew this. No man conceived her, just as no man conceived Honan or Elsu, and that left only Kwanita to raise the three of them. Migisi suddenly wondered if the man who stole Elsu became his father, teaching him everything he knew, making him like him even.

But...who was Li'at?

Migisi looked up at the brave, a solemn look on her face. "I do not know."

It was the only answer she could give.

The brave looked upon her for many moments, before closing his eyes and looking away from her.

"I see," he said. "Then I hope you will find your father soon little one."

He then walked off once they arrived back to the village, and all before Migisi could even say anything to him. All she could do was watch as he walked away with the rest of the braves, likely to get the deer ready for the feast tonight, and that left her alone with Honan, who eyed her with concern.

"Are you okay Migisi?" he asked.

Migisi didn't answer at first. "Honan," she began, "who is our father?"

Honan's lavender eyes widened in surprise, and he stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean Migisi?"

"Do we have anyone who taught us the way Mother has?" she asked. "Was there a man who taught us all we needed to know?"

Honan stared at her a moment, before he looked into the distance with thought. He didn't say a word for a few minutes, then he shook his head. "Would the braves here be considered our fathers?" he asked.

Migisi looked at her brother hopelessly. "No, one man, one man who oversaw our progress, who taught us everything we know."

"The braves did that Migisi," said Honan. "Why are you asking these questions?"

Migisi couldn't answer. She turned away from her brother, praying that her tears weren't present for all to see. "Please forget I asked then," she said. "I am not thinking clearly at the moment."

"Migisi..." But Migisi was walking away before her brother could say anything else, looking for her mother. They always go to their mother when they are finished with the hunt, and they were to help her with any other farming there was left.

Migisi needed the work. She wanted to forget her emotions, the fact that Li'at was dying in the farthest tepee in the tribe, a precaution to not allow death to affect anyone else, and, most of all, she wanted to forget the painful truth about death and life.

Why did dying have to be so painful?

Eventually, Kwanita came into sight, and she was walking with the rest of the women and young girls towards the village, a basket of corn balanced perfectly on her head. When she saw her children approaching her, Kwanita walked towards them, a smile on her face, and knelt down, placing the basket next to her.

"Hello my children," she greeted warmly. "Did you catch anything?"

"Yes," said Honan, a beaming smile on his face that didn't seem to match his mood. "I caught a big deer Mother, the people are going to serve it tonight!"

How Migisi wished she could join her brother in his enthusiasm.

Kwanita looked to her, a frown appearing on her face. "Honan, go join the other children, okay? I need to speak to your brother."

Honan looked at her in concern. "Mother?"

"Please Honan?" asked Kwanita. "The children look like they want to play with you right now."

She was not wrong, Migisi realized as she looked towards the other young children, who were calling Honan to come join them. None were looking at her, and Migisi wondered what they were hoping to achieve.

Honan reluctantly looked between them and his mother, then nodded. "Yes Mother." He then took off towards the children, but not before he cast another concerned look onto his sister.

Migisi did her best to not meet his eyes.

Once Honan was gone, Kwanita turned to look at her daughter, a concerned look on her face. "What troubles you daughter?" she whispered.

Migisi bit her lip. She hated how easy she seemed to be read by her mother, no matter how well she tried to hide her inner feelings. Still, she forced herself to speak.

"Mother..." she began, pausing to take a deep breath. "Can I see Li'at?"

Kwanita jumped slightly, clearly stunned at her daughter's request, and suddenly Migisi felt guilty for even asking.

Kwanita was quick to compose herself however. "Why do you wish to see him?" she asked.

Migisi began to shake. "Mother..." Even her voice was shaking. "I'm scared. I'm really scared. Li'at is so scared, and he's trying so hard to hide from the people. He doesn't know what awaits him in the afterlife, if he will see his family members again, or if he even wants to pass on. He's so scared Mother."

Understanding flashed through her mother's eyes, and she looked upon her daughter with a warm yet sad smile. She then stood up. "Come with me," she said, gently taking her daughter's hand and leading her towards the tepee, a tepee that stood out from the rest with its white coloring and the symbols that surrounded it.

It was the tepee that every dying human would go last to protect their ascending spirit from any evil.

They walked closer to it, and Migisi took note that a couple unknown medicine men were guarding it, chanting ancient spells and dancing around the tepee, likely to further fend off any evil spirits and help Li'at's spirit pass on. Migisi thought the dance was beautiful yet so terrifying.

She gripped her mother's skirts harder.

Eventually Kwanita stopped in front of the medicine men, who ceased their ritual to face her.

"I need to see the dying please," said Kwanita. "My son is to accompany me."

The medicine men looked at each other before looking back to her, bowed to them, and stepped aside, allowing them access to the tepee.

Kwanita then led Migisi into the tepee, the flap leaving them almost in pitch darkness as it closed behind them. Migisi's eyes slowly adjusted however, and soon after she spotted a small fire burning, so dim that it barely showed the inside of the tepee, but it glowed a pure white color, another color Migisi never thought fire could take.

Then she spotted the buffalo hive, and the person inside of it.

Migisi barely recognized that gray hair, the frail body, and the feeling of death that very body gave off. But a moment more and she recognized that person anywhere.

Hearing them, the figure turned to face them, slowly too, like going any faster would quicken death.

Migisi could feel the tears coming now, despite how much she wanted to hold them back.

Kwanita also gently urged her forward, and Migisi collapsed to her knees beside the man, taking his much bigger hand into her own.

The figure gently squeezed back. "Is that...the Holy One and little Migisi?" asked the figure weakly. "I...have felt this hand...once...I recognize it anywhere."

Migisi smiled sadly. "It is I, elder, Migisi. I am here with you now."

"Ah," groaned Li'at. "I have been asking for you, and yet the medicine men would not let me...see you. It is...so good to see that...you are here with me."

Migisi knew the tears were streaming down her cheeks now, but she didn't care anymore. It was just too much anyway.

"Holy One," began Li'at. "What awaits me...after I close my eyes?"

Kwanita stayed silent a moment. "You will be with your family," she said truthfully. "I can see them, they are waiting for you now."

Li'at chuckled, though that was replaced by light coughing. "Ah, I have always wondered what the afterworld would be like for me. Still, I believe...it will be a wonderful place. I wish you could be able to see it...child."

Migisi could only nod, a sob escaping past her lips.

Li'at gently let go of her hand to wipe away her tears. "Do not cry for me child, you're going to make me cry, and I don't want my final moments being of crying. Come now, dry your eyes and smile for me."

Migisi looked upon the dying old man a moment, then took the deepest breaths of her life before forcing a smile on her face. "I'm sorry..." she said slowly. "I made you...so sad."

Li'at smiled in the dim light. "I made you sad my dear, do not blame yourself." They then spent the last several seconds in silence before the man turned to look at Kwanita. "Holy One, you understand...what this means, do you?"

Kwanita nodded. "I do."

"Then you know..." Li'at took another deep breath. "I feel...that something's coming, and it isn't good. Please, t...try to protect yourself...and your children. They need it."

Kwanita smiled slightly. "I will try."

Li'at smiled again. "Thank you..."

They stayed in that tepee for a long time until Li'at's eyes closed forever, and Migisi spent the rest of the night crying herself to sleep, calling for her father.

_End of Arc 1_


	34. BAD NEWS (PLEASE READ)

**Bad news everyone, and I know none of you will like what I have to say, but please hear me out.**

**Things have been difficult recently, and I don’t know if any of you are aware, but due to recent events, I found that I may have to do a couple of things in order to get rid of any remaining stress for right now, which is where the bad news comes in.**

**To put it simply, I’m going to have to discontinue this story. However, while I do plan on leaving this story up for adoption, I’m not planning on stopping the tales of America and her children anytime soon, but I feel that continuing this story will contradict with those future stories, and I can’t have that.**

**So, again, I will leave this story up for adoption, but if any of you are planning on adopting the story, please let me know and ask for my permission before you do, and I’m also going to say that I am allowing you to make any changes and your own plots for the story, but while I’m willing to answer any questions regarding this story in itself, I will not be answering any questions regarding the stories I plan to write, as any answers will be considered spoilers.**

**So, forgive me, everyone, but I can’t do this anymore. This will be considered the official end of the ** ** _America the Beautiful_ ** ** series, but be sure to be on the lookout for any future stories involving America and her children!**

**Thank you very much.**

**~~~37054ljH**


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